Enrollment
1,704
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Mill, SC
Catawba Ridge High School
Federal NCES profile for Catawba Ridge High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450390001718
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Catawba Ridge High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Fort Mill · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.4:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 15.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Catawba Ridge High School has class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Catawba Ridge High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Fort Mill, SC.
School address
District: York 04 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390001718 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Catawba Ridge High School compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Catawba Ridge High School
Catawba Ridge High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Fort Mill, South Carolina, enrolling 1,704 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Carolina schools and 22% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.3% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the South Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,704 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 28 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Fort Mill's high schools, it stands alongside Fort Mill High (2,115 students): Catawba Ridge High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 15.8:1).
York 04 also operates Fort Mill High (2,115 students) and Nation Ford High (1,921 students) alongside Catawba Ridge 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 Catawba Ridge High School compares
Catawba Ridge High School on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.3% | ▼ 79% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,704 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,704
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,810
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
128
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 69.4%
African American 9.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.4, Catawba Ridge High School is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for York 04, which includes Catawba Ridge High School.
$11,810
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.2%
State 44.3%
Federal 7.5%
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 Catawba Ridge High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Mill High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nation Ford High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pleasant Knoll Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gold Hill Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gold Hill Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Catawba Ridge High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,115
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,921
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 877
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools in Fort Mill
2 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 South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,704 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Catawba Ridge High School's federal record.
- Compare Catawba Ridge High School against another school. Compare schools
- York 04'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 Catawba Ridge High School
How many students attend Catawba Ridge High School?
Catawba Ridge High School has 1,704 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Mill, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Catawba Ridge High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Catawba Ridge High School is 17.4:1, which is 22% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Catawba Ridge High School?
15.3% of students at Catawba Ridge High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Catawba Ridge High School?
The largest demographic group at Catawba Ridge High School is White at 69.4% of enrollment, in Fort Mill, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Catawba Ridge High School?
Catawba Ridge High School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Catawba Ridge High School rank among high schools in Fort Mill?
By Resource Investment Index, Catawba Ridge High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Fort Mill, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Fort Mill on the city page.
Is Catawba Ridge High School a good school?
Catawba Ridge High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina. 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 York 04?
Besides Catawba Ridge High School, York 04 also operates Fort Mill High (2,115 students), Nation Ford High (1,921 students), and Pleasant Knoll Middle (916 students). See the York 04 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.