Enrollment
376
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hickory, NC
Challenger Early College High
Federal NCES profile for Challenger Early College 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 370069002753
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Challenger Early College High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Hickory · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 26.9:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Challenger Early College High has class sizes larger than 97% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Early College High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Hickory, NC.
School address
District: Catawba County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370069002753 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+70% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Challenger Early College High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Challenger Early College High
Challenger Early College High is a mid-sized high school in Hickory, North Carolina, enrolling 376 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.9:1 is larger than about 97% of North Carolina schools and 70% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 376 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 209 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 188 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hickory's high schools, it stands alongside Saint Stephens High (1,268 students): Challenger Early College High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (26.9:1 vs 18.6:1).
Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students) and Bandys High (935 students) alongside Challenger Early College 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 Challenger Early College High compares
Challenger Early College High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.9:1 | ▲ 70% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▼ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 376 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.9:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
26.9:1
students per teacher
- 70% above state mean
Top 97% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,517
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 188 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
White 34.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.4%
Asian 19.1%
Two or More 10.6%
African American 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 34.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Challenger Early College High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Catawba County Schools, which includes Challenger Early College High.
$11,517
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 22.2%
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 Challenger Early College High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephens High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bandys High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fred T Foard High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maiden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bunker Hill High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Challenger Early College High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Hickory
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 Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~376 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Challenger Early College High's federal record.
- Compare Challenger Early College High against another school. Compare schools
- Catawba County 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 Challenger Early College High
How many students attend Challenger Early College High?
Challenger Early College High has 376 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hickory, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Challenger Early College High?
The student-teacher ratio at Challenger Early College High is 26.9:1, which is 70% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 71% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Challenger Early College High?
34.4% of students at Challenger Early College High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Challenger Early College High?
The largest demographic group at Challenger Early College High is White at 34.8% of enrollment, in Hickory, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Challenger Early College High?
Challenger Early College 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 Challenger Early College High rank among high schools in Hickory?
By Resource Investment Index, Challenger Early College High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Hickory, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Hickory on the city page.
Is Challenger Early College High a good school?
Challenger Early College High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of North Carolina schools. 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 Catawba County Schools?
Besides Challenger Early College High, Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students), Bandys High (935 students), and Fred T Foard High (930 students). See the Catawba County 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.