Enrollment
258
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Garden City, MI
Cambridge Alternative High School
Federal NCES profile for Cambridge Alternative High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261554002045
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cambridge Alternative High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Garden City · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 70.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cambridge Alternative High School has class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cambridge Alternative High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Garden City, MI.
School address
District: Garden City Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261554002045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cambridge Alternative High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cambridge Alternative High School
Cambridge Alternative High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Garden City, Michigan, enrolling 258 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.5:1 is larger than about 87% of Michigan schools and 23% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 258 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 425 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #39, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (33%) (diversity index 56/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 129 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Garden City Public Schools spends $18,419 per pupil, 36% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Garden City Public Schools also operates Garden City High School (896 students) and Farmington 56 Campus (455 students) alongside Cambridge Alternative High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cambridge Alternative High School compares
Cambridge Alternative High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.0% | ▲ 29% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 258 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
258
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Michigan - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$18,419
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 129 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 57.4%
African American 32.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Cambridge Alternative High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden City Public Schools, which includes Cambridge Alternative High School.
$18,419
Per student
+36%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 56.4%
Federal 9.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cambridge Alternative High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Farmington 56 Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Garden City Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Memorial Elementary 12 Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Douglas Elementary 34 Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cambridge Alternative High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~258 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cambridge Alternative High School's federal record.
- Compare Cambridge Alternative High School against another school. Compare schools
- Garden City Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Alternative High School
How many students attend Cambridge Alternative High School?
Cambridge Alternative High School has 258 students enrolled. It is a high school in Garden City, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cambridge Alternative High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cambridge Alternative High School is 21.5:1, which is 23% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cambridge Alternative High School?
70.0% of students at Cambridge Alternative High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cambridge Alternative High School?
The largest demographic group at Cambridge Alternative High School is White at 57.4% of enrollment, in Garden City, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cambridge Alternative High School?
Cambridge Alternative High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cambridge Alternative High School rank among public schools in Garden City?
By Resource Investment Index, Cambridge Alternative High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Garden City, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Garden City on the city page.
Is Cambridge Alternative High School a good school?
Cambridge Alternative High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Michigan schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Garden City Public Schools?
Besides Cambridge Alternative High School, Garden City Public Schools also operates Garden City High School (896 students), Farmington 56 Campus (455 students), and Garden City Middle School (423 students). See the Garden City Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.