Enrollment
1,937
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chesterton, IN
Chesterton Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Chesterton Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180280000333
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chesterton Senior High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #7 of 8
- public schools in Chesterton · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Chesterton Senior High School has class sizes larger than 90% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chesterton Senior High School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Chesterton, IN.
School address
District: Duneland School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180280000333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chesterton Senior High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chesterton Senior High School
Chesterton Senior High School is a large high school in Chesterton, Indiana, enrolling 1,937 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Indiana schools and 25% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.1% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Indiana average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,937 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 37 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 323 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 36 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Duneland School Corporation also operates Liberty Elementary School (491 students) and Liberty Intermediate School (452 students) alongside Chesterton Senior 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 Chesterton Senior High School compares
Chesterton Senior High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 55% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,937 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,937
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 90% in Indiana - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$12,291
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 323 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 147 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 36 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 77.7%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 2.7%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 77.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.3, Chesterton Senior High School is about as mixed as the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duneland School Corporation, which includes Chesterton Senior High School.
$12,291
Per student
+2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 56.9%
Federal 4.5%
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 Chesterton Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chesterton Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westchester Intermediate School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bailly Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chesterton Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,937 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chesterton Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Chesterton Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Duneland School Corporation'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 Chesterton Senior High School
How many students attend Chesterton Senior High School?
Chesterton Senior High School has 1,937 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chesterton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chesterton Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chesterton Senior High School is 19.8:1, which is 25% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chesterton Senior High School?
22.1% of students at Chesterton Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chesterton Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Chesterton Senior High School is White at 77.7% of enrollment, in Chesterton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chesterton Senior High School?
Chesterton Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Chesterton Senior High School rank among public schools in Chesterton?
By Resource Investment Index, Chesterton Senior High School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Chesterton, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chesterton on the city page.
Is Chesterton Senior High School a good school?
Chesterton Senior High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 Duneland School Corporation?
Besides Chesterton Senior High School, Duneland School Corporation also operates Liberty Elementary School (491 students), Liberty Intermediate School (452 students), and Chesterton Middle School (423 students). See the Duneland School Corporation 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.