Enrollment
1,626
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carthage, MO
Carthage High School
Federal NCES profile for Carthage High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290746000211
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carthage High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #10 of 10
- public schools in Carthage · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 50.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Carthage High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carthage High School ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Carthage, MO.
School address
District: Carthage R-Ix · Missouri
NCES ID 290746000211 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carthage High School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carthage High School
Carthage High School is a higher-need, large high school in Carthage, Missouri, enrolling 1,626 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 95% of Missouri schools and 43% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,626 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #14.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (47%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 407 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Carthage R-Ix also operates Carthage Jr. High (773 students) and Carthage Intermediate Center (664 students) alongside Carthage 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 Carthage High School compares
Carthage High School on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 43% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.9% | ▲ 10% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,626 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,626
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 95% in Missouri - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,140
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 407 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
236
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.7 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 48.3%
Hispanic or Latino 47.2%
Two or More 2.6%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.3, Carthage High School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carthage R-Ix, which includes Carthage High School.
$11,140
Per student
-14%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.2%
State 46.4%
Federal 17.3%
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 Carthage High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Jr. High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carthage Intermediate Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbian Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carthage 6th Grade Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carthage High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 773
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 444
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,626 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carthage High School's federal record.
- Compare Carthage High School against another school. Compare schools
- Carthage R-Ix'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 Carthage High School
How many students attend Carthage High School?
Carthage High School has 1,626 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carthage, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carthage High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carthage High School is 18.3:1, which is 43% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carthage High School?
50.9% of students at Carthage High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carthage High School?
The largest demographic group at Carthage High School is White at 48.3% of enrollment, in Carthage, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carthage High School?
Carthage High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Carthage High School rank among public schools in Carthage?
By Resource Investment Index, Carthage High School ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Carthage, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carthage on the city page.
Is Carthage High School a good school?
Carthage High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. 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 Carthage R-Ix?
Besides Carthage High School, Carthage R-Ix also operates Carthage Jr. High (773 students), Carthage Intermediate Center (664 students), and Fairview Elem. (444 students). See the Carthage R-Ix 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.