Enrollment
2,371
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Little Rock, AR
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 050900000607
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas.
- #4 of 10
- high schools in Little Rock · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #4 of 10 high schools in Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Little Rock School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050900000607 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
161.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 2,371 students.
At 14.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arkansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,371 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 36 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 20.7% 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 28 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Little Rock's high schools, it stands alongside Little Rock Hall Steam Magnet High School (335 students): Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 12:1).
Little Rock School District also operates Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students) and Parkview Magnet High School (1,072 students) alongside Central 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 Central High School compares
Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 29% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,371 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,371
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 57% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$14,597
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
183
in-school suspensions + 194 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 28 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
African American 46.3%
White 29.0%
Asian 11.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, Central High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 36
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Little Rock School District, which includes Central High School.
$14,597
Per student
+19%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 26.7%
Federal 20.7%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock Southwest High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkview Magnet High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Don Roberts Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chicot Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pinnacle View Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Little Rock
1 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 Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,371 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Little Rock School District'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 School
How many students attend Central High School?
Central High School has 2,371 students enrolled. It is a high school in Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 14.7:1, which is 8% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central High School?
42.1% of students at Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is African American at 46.3% of enrollment, in Little Rock, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central High School rank among high schools in Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #4 of 10 high schools in Little Rock, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Little Rock on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas. 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 Little Rock School District?
Besides Central High School, Little Rock School District also operates Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students), Parkview Magnet High School (1,072 students), and Don Roberts Elementary School (1,035 students). See the Little Rock School District 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.