Enrollment
1,735
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Baltimore, MD
Catonsville High
Federal NCES profile for Catonsville High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240012000355
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Catonsville High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #24 of 42
- high schools in Baltimore · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 38.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Catonsville High has class sizes larger than 73% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Catonsville High ranks #24 of 42 high schools in Baltimore, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240012000355 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
107.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Catonsville High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Catonsville High
Catonsville High is a large high school in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 1,735 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,735 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 69 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #37.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Baltimore's high schools, it stands alongside Dundalk High (2,087 students): Catonsville High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.2:1 vs 15.5:1).
Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students) and Perry Hall High (2,012 students) alongside Catonsville 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 Catonsville High compares
Catonsville High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.1% | ▼ 22% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,735 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,735
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 73% in Maryland - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$16,538
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 91 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 42.6%
African American 23.4%
Asian 16.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Two or More 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Catonsville High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore County Public Schools, which includes Catonsville High.
$16,538
Per student
-19%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 40.7%
Federal 12.0%
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 Catonsville High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perry Hall High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dulaney High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Catonsville High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,922
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Baltimore
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Dundalk High
Standard public school
2,087 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Perry Hall High
Standard public school
2,012 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Woodlawn High
Standard public school
1,922 students 17:1 students per teacher
Kenwood High
Standard public school
1,900 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Parkville High
Standard public school
1,877 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
Vocational / career-technical school
1,714 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,735 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Catonsville High's federal record.
- Compare Catonsville High against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore County Public 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 Catonsville High
How many students attend Catonsville High?
Catonsville High has 1,735 students enrolled. It is a high school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Catonsville High?
The student-teacher ratio at Catonsville High is 16.2:1, which is 12% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Catonsville High?
38.1% of students at Catonsville High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Catonsville High?
The largest demographic group at Catonsville High is White at 42.6% of enrollment, in Baltimore, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Catonsville High?
Catonsville High has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Catonsville High rank among high schools in Baltimore?
By Resource Investment Index, Catonsville High ranks #24 of 42 high schools in Baltimore, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Baltimore on the city page.
Is Catonsville High a good school?
Catonsville High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. 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 Baltimore County Public Schools?
Besides Catonsville High, Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students), Perry Hall High (2,012 students), and Woodlawn High (1,922 students). See the Baltimore County Public 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.