Enrollment
1,406
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bismarck, ND
Century High School
Federal NCES profile for Century High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 380001400047
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Century High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Dakota.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.5:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 9.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Century High School has class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Century High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Bismarck, ND.
School address
District: Bismarck 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380001400047 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.2%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Century High School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Century High School
Century High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 1,406 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.5:1 is larger than about 90% of North Dakota schools and 40% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.2% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the North Dakota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,406 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Among 21 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Bismarck 1 spends $14,037 per pupil, 24% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bismarck's high schools, it stands alongside Legacy High School (1,419 students): Century High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 17.3:1).
Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Bismarck High School (1,367 students) alongside Century 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 Century High School compares
Century High School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 40% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.2% | ▼ 67% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,406 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,406
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 90% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,037
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 81.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.3%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.7%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.6, Century High School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bismarck 1, which includes Century High School.
$14,037
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 55.3%
Federal 16.7%
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 Century High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bismarck High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Simle Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wachter Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Century High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bismarck
3 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 North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,406 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Century High School's federal record.
- Compare Century High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bismarck 1'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 Century High School
How many students attend Century High School?
Century High School has 1,406 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bismarck, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Century High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Century High School is 16.5:1, which is 40% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Century High School?
9.2% of students at Century High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Century High School?
The largest demographic group at Century High School is White at 81.7% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Century High School?
Century High School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Century High School rank among high schools in Bismarck?
By Resource Investment Index, Century High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Bismarck, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bismarck on the city page.
Is Century High School a good school?
Century High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Dakota. 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 Bismarck 1?
Besides Century High School, Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students), Bismarck High School (1,367 students), and Horizon Middle School (1,124 students). See the Bismarck 1 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.