Enrollment
1,559
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carlisle, PA
Carlisle Area Hs
Federal NCES profile for Carlisle Area Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 420501001694
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carlisle Area Hs earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #1 of 10
- public schools in Carlisle · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 36.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Carlisle Area Hs has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle Area Hs ranks #1 of 10 public schools in Carlisle, PA.
School address
District: Carlisle Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420501001694 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
112.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carlisle Area Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carlisle Area Hs
Carlisle Area Hs is a large high school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,559 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,559 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 121 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (12%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Carlisle Area Sd also operates Wilson Ms (604 students) and Lamberton Ms (583 students) alongside Carlisle Area Hs.
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 Carlisle Area Hs compares
Carlisle Area Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 37% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,559 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,559
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 60% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,072
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
110
in-school suspensions + 125 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 59.9%
African American 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Two or More 10.4%
Asian 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Carlisle Area Hs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlisle Area Sd, which includes Carlisle Area Hs.
$15,072
Per student
-16%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.9%
State 28.3%
Federal 8.7%
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 Carlisle Area Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Ms | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lamberton Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crestview El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bellaire El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hamilton El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carlisle Area Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 541
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,559 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carlisle Area Hs's federal record.
- Compare Carlisle Area Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Carlisle Area Sd'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 Carlisle Area Hs
How many students attend Carlisle Area Hs?
Carlisle Area Hs has 1,559 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carlisle, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carlisle Area Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Carlisle Area Hs is 13.9:1, which is 2% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carlisle Area Hs?
36.7% of students at Carlisle Area Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carlisle Area Hs?
The largest demographic group at Carlisle Area Hs is White at 59.9% of enrollment, in Carlisle, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carlisle Area Hs?
Carlisle Area Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher 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 Carlisle Area Hs rank among public schools in Carlisle?
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle Area Hs ranks #1 of 10 public schools in Carlisle, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carlisle on the city page.
Is Carlisle Area Hs a good school?
Carlisle Area Hs earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Carlisle Area Sd?
Besides Carlisle Area Hs, Carlisle Area Sd also operates Wilson Ms (604 students), Lamberton Ms (583 students), and Crestview El Sch (541 students). See the Carlisle Area Sd 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.