Enrollment
754
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Capitol Heights, MD
Central High
Federal NCES profile for Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240051001002
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Capitol Heights · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 66.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Capitol Heights, MD.
School address
District: Prince George's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240051001002 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High
Central High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Capitol Heights, Maryland, enrolling 754 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 754 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 284 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is led by African American (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 189 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students) and Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students) alongside Central 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 Central High compares
Central 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.6% | ▲ 36% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 754 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
754
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 36% in Maryland - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
60.7%
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
$19,234
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 189 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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
African American 68.3%
Hispanic or Latino 29.8%
White 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.5, Central High is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince George's County Public Schools, which includes Central High.
$19,234
Per student
-6%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 51.1%
Federal 12.1%
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 Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles Herbert Flowers High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkdale High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bowie High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eleanor Roosevelt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,580
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,544
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~754 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High's federal record.
- Compare Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Prince George's 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 Central High
How many students attend Central High?
Central High has 754 students enrolled. It is a high school in Capitol Heights, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 13.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 14% 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 Central High?
66.6% of students at Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High?
The largest demographic group at Central High is African American at 68.3% of enrollment, in Capitol Heights, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?
Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Central High rank among public schools in Capitol Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Capitol Heights, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Capitol Heights on the city page.
Is Central High a good school?
Central High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. 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 Prince George's County Public Schools?
Besides Central High, Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students), Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students), and Parkdale High (2,588 students). See the Prince George's County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.