Enrollment
1,265
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Knoxville, TN
Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470222000775
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee.
- #13 of 14
- high schools in Knoxville · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 1,265
- students enrolled
Central High School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #13 of 14 high schools in Knoxville, TN.
School address
District: Knox County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470222000775 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High School
Central High School is a large high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, enrolling 1,265 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Tennessee, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,265 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Knoxville's high schools, it stands alongside Farragut High School (2,073 students): Central High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 18.3:1).
Knox County also operates Farragut High School (2,073 students) and Bearden High School (1,963 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 Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,265 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,265
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 30% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.0%
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
$10,538
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
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 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 189 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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 51.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.9%
African American 18.9%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Central High School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knox County, which includes Central High School.
$10,538
Per student
-3%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.9%
State 35.6%
Federal 14.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farragut High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bearden High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardin Valley Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Farragut Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher 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
- 2,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,963
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,916
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,474
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Knoxville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Farragut High School
Standard public school
2,073 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Bearden High School
Standard public school
1,963 students 16:1 students per teacher
Hardin Valley Academy
Standard public school
1,916 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
West High School
Standard public school
1,474 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Karns High School
Standard public school
1,365 students 15:1 students per teacher
Halls High School
Standard public school
1,236 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,265 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Knox County'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 1,265 students enrolled. It is a high school in Knoxville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High School is 13.3:1, which is 13% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Central High School is White at 51.2% of enrollment, in Knoxville, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High School?
Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 School rank among high schools in Knoxville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High School ranks #13 of 14 high schools in Knoxville, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Knoxville on the city page.
Is Central High School a good school?
Central High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee. 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 Knox County?
Besides Central High School, Knox County also operates Farragut High School (2,073 students), Bearden High School (1,963 students), and Hardin Valley Academy (1,916 students). See the Knox County 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.