Enrollment
1,063
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · China Grove, NC
Carson High
Federal NCES profile for Carson High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370405002882
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carson High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in China Grove · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 48.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Carson High has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carson High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in China Grove, NC.
School address
District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370405002882 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carson High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carson High
Carson High is a large high school in China Grove, North Carolina, enrolling 1,063 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,063 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 291 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #280, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 53/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1063 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 228 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,063 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among China Grove's high schools, it stands alongside South Rowan High (932 students): Carson High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 18.3:1).
Rowan-Salisbury Schools also operates West Rowan High (988 students) and East Rowan High (986 students) alongside Carson High.
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 Carson High compares
Carson High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.3% | ▼ 27% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,063 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,063
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$11,832
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1063 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
138
in-school suspensions + 90 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.4 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 63.7%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
African American 6.3%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 63.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Carson High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rowan-Salisbury Schools, which includes Carson High.
$11,832
Per student
-2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 60.4%
Federal 21.0%
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 Carson High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Rowan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Rowan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Rowan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salisbury High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Erwin Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carson High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in China Grove
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,063 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carson High's federal record.
- Compare Carson High against another school. Compare schools
- Rowan-Salisbury 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 Carson High
How many students attend Carson High?
Carson High has 1,063 students enrolled. It is a high school in China Grove, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carson High?
The student-teacher ratio at Carson High is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carson High?
48.3% of students at Carson High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carson High?
The largest demographic group at Carson High is White at 63.7% of enrollment, in China Grove, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carson High?
Carson High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Carson High rank among public schools in China Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Carson High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in China Grove, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in China Grove on the city page.
Is Carson High a good school?
Carson High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina 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 Rowan-Salisbury Schools?
Besides Carson High, Rowan-Salisbury Schools also operates West Rowan High (988 students), East Rowan High (986 students), and South Rowan High (932 students). See the Rowan-Salisbury 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.