Enrollment
811
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cambridge, MD
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School
Federal NCES profile for Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240030000612
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Cambridge · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Cambridge, MD.
School address
District: Dorchester County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240030000612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+104% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cambridge-South Dorchester High School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Cambridge, Maryland, enrolling 811 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 86% of Maryland schools and 21% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 104% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 811 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 20 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and White (24%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 203 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 168 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 811 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Dorchester County Public Schools also operates North Dorchester High School (526 students) and Mace's Lane Middle School (490 students) alongside Cambridge-South Dorchester 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-South Dorchester High School compares
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 104% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 811 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
811
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 104% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Maryland - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
60.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$24,096
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 203 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 167 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.7 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
African American 57.0%
White 24.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dorchester County Public Schools, which includes Cambridge-South Dorchester High School.
$24,096
Per student
+18%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 65.2%
Federal 15.0%
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-South Dorchester High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dorchester High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mace's Lane Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maple Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Dorchester Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sandy Hill Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cambridge-South Dorchester High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~811 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cambridge-South Dorchester High School's federal record.
- Compare Cambridge-South Dorchester High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dorchester County 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-South Dorchester High School
How many students attend Cambridge-South Dorchester High School?
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School has 811 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cambridge, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School is 17.6:1, which is 21% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School?
100.0% of students at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School?
The largest demographic group at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School is African American at 57.0% of enrollment, in Cambridge, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cambridge-South Dorchester High School?
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cambridge-South Dorchester High School rank among public schools in Cambridge?
By Resource Investment Index, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Cambridge, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cambridge on the city page.
Is Cambridge-South Dorchester High School a good school?
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland 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 Dorchester County Public Schools?
Besides Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, Dorchester County Public Schools also operates North Dorchester High School (526 students), Mace's Lane Middle School (490 students), and Maple Elementary School (483 students). See the Dorchester County 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.