Enrollment
1,235
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chelsea, AL
Chelsea High School
Federal NCES profile for Chelsea High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010303001171
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chelsea High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Chelsea · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 20.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Chelsea High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chelsea High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303001171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chelsea High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chelsea High School
Chelsea High School is a large high school in Chelsea, Alabama, enrolling 1,235 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.4% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,235 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 56 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Chelsea 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 Chelsea High School compares
Chelsea High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.4% | ▼ 65% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,235 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,235
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
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
16:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 28% in Alabama - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,253
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
136
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 78.4%
African American 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.9, Chelsea High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Chelsea High School.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Chelsea High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chelsea High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 957
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,235 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chelsea High School's federal record.
- Compare Chelsea High School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby 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 Chelsea High School
How many students attend Chelsea High School?
Chelsea High School has 1,235 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chelsea, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chelsea High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chelsea High School is 16:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 2% higher 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 Chelsea High School?
20.4% of students at Chelsea High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chelsea High School?
The largest demographic group at Chelsea High School is White at 78.4% of enrollment, in Chelsea, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chelsea High School?
Chelsea High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Chelsea High School rank among public schools in Chelsea?
By Resource Investment Index, Chelsea High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chelsea on the city page.
Is Chelsea High School a good school?
Chelsea High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Shelby County?
Besides Chelsea High School, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Helena High School (1,383 students), and Oak Mountain Middle School (1,168 students). See the Shelby 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.