Enrollment
652
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pittsburgh, PA
Carson Ms
Federal NCES profile for Carson Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 421701005108
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carson Ms earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #2 of 21
- middle schools in Pittsburgh · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.9:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 16.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Carson Ms has class sizes smaller than 85% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Ms ranks #2 of 21 middle schools in Pittsburgh, PA.
School address
District: North Allegheny Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421701005108 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carson Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carson Ms
Carson Ms is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enrolling 652 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.9:1, Carson Ms is leaner than roughly 85% of Pennsylvania schools and 20% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.0% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 652 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 432 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #42, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Asian (12%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Pittsburgh's middle schools, it stands alongside North Hills Ms (1,127 students): Carson Ms is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.9:1 vs 15:1).
North Allegheny Sd also operates North Allegheny Hs (2,711 students) and Mcknight El Sch (875 students) alongside Carson Ms.
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 Ms compares
Carson Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.9:1 | ▼ 20% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.0% | ▼ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 652 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
652
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 15% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,567
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 326 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 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 76.7%
Asian 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.3, Carson Ms is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Allegheny Sd, which includes Carson Ms.
$18,567
Per student
+3%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.1%
State 20.6%
Federal 3.3%
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 Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Allegheny Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcknight El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marshall Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marshall El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin El Sch | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carson Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,711
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
North Hills Ms
Standard public school
1,127 students 15:1 students per teacher
Dorseyville Ms
Standard public school
981 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Hills Ms
Standard public school
813 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Mellon Ms
Standard public school
661 students 12:1 students per teacher
Fort Couch Ms
Standard public school
647 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Linton Ms
Standard public school
626 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~652 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carson Ms's federal record.
- Compare Carson Ms against another school. Compare schools
- North Allegheny 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 Carson Ms
How many students attend Carson Ms?
Carson Ms has 652 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carson Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Carson Ms is 10.9:1, which is 20% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carson Ms?
16.0% of students at Carson Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carson Ms?
The largest demographic group at Carson Ms is White at 76.7% of enrollment, in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carson Ms?
Carson Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carson Ms rank among middle schools in Pittsburgh?
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Ms ranks #2 of 21 middle schools in Pittsburgh, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Pittsburgh on the city page.
Is Carson Ms a good school?
Carson Ms earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Pennsylvania 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 North Allegheny Sd?
Besides Carson Ms, North Allegheny Sd also operates North Allegheny Hs (2,711 students), Mcknight El Sch (875 students), and Marshall Ms (847 students). See the North Allegheny 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.