Enrollment
750
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chelsea, MI
Chelsea High School
Federal NCES profile for Chelsea High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260894004437
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chelsea High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Michigan schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Chelsea · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 12.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Chelsea High School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chelsea High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, MI.
School address
District: Chelsea School District · Michigan
NCES ID 260894004437 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chelsea High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chelsea High School
Chelsea High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Chelsea, Michigan, enrolling 750 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.8% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Michigan average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 90% of state schools at 750 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 274 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #150.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Chelsea School District also operates Beach Middle School (525 students) and North Creek Elementary School (485 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.8% | ▼ 76% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 750 | top 10% | - | - |
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.
750
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 29% in Michigan - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$14,718
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 88.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.0, Chelsea High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chelsea School District, which includes Chelsea High School.
$14,718
Per student
+9%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.1%
State 48.3%
Federal 5.6%
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 Chelsea High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Creek Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Meadows Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~750 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chelsea High School's federal record.
- Compare Chelsea High School against another school. Compare schools
- Chelsea 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 Chelsea High School
How many students attend Chelsea High School?
Chelsea High School has 750 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chelsea, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chelsea High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chelsea High School is 14.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 6% lower 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?
12.8% of students at Chelsea High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chelsea High School?
The largest demographic group at Chelsea High School is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Chelsea, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chelsea High School?
Chelsea High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Chelsea High School rank among public schools in Chelsea?
By Resource Investment Index, Chelsea High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Chelsea, MI. 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 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Michigan 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 Chelsea School District?
Besides Chelsea High School, Chelsea School District also operates Beach Middle School (525 students), North Creek Elementary School (485 students), and South Meadows Elementary School (476 students). See the Chelsea 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.