Enrollment
179
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Memphis, TN
City University School of Liberal Arts
Federal NCES profile for City University School of Liberal Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 14/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470014802083Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
City University School of Liberal Arts earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Tennessee schools.
- #34 of 35
- high schools in Memphis · Resource Index
- 14
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 179
- students enrolled
City University School of Liberal Arts has class sizes larger than 85% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, City University School of Liberal Arts ranks #34 of 35 high schools in Memphis, TN.
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
NCES ID 470014802083 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How City University School of Liberal Arts compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at City University School of Liberal Arts
City University School of Liberal Arts is a small charter high school in Memphis, Tennessee, enrolling 179 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 179 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1193 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $13,650 per pupil, 26% above the Tennessee average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Memphis's high schools, it stands alongside White Station High (2,046 students): City University School of Liberal Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.9:1 vs 18.9:1).
Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students) and White Station High (2,046 students) alongside City University School of Liberal Arts.
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 City University School of Liberal Arts compares
City University School of Liberal Arts on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
179
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 85% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.8%
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
$13,650
per pupil, district-wide
- above Tennessee avg of $10,822
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 89.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Two or More 3.9%
White 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, City University School of Liberal Arts is less mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes City University School of Liberal Arts.
$13,650
Per student
+26%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 37.0%
Federal 28.5%
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 City University School of Liberal Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordova High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Station High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Germantown High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwind High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitehaven High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to City University School of Liberal Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,675
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Memphis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
White Station High
Standard public school
2,046 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Southwind High
Standard public school
1,675 students 26.6:1 students per teacher
Whitehaven High
Standard public school
1,509 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Overton High
Standard public school
1,417 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Kingsbury High
Standard public school
1,383 students 23.4:1 students per teacher
Central High
Standard public school
1,331 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~179 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on City University School of Liberal Arts's federal record.
- Compare City University School of Liberal Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Memphis-Shelby 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 City University School of Liberal Arts
How many students attend City University School of Liberal Arts?
City University School of Liberal Arts has 179 students enrolled. It is a high school in Memphis, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at City University School of Liberal Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at City University School of Liberal Arts is 17.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of City University School of Liberal Arts?
The largest demographic group at City University School of Liberal Arts is African American at 89.9% of enrollment, in Memphis, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for City University School of Liberal Arts?
City University School of Liberal Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does City University School of Liberal Arts rank among high schools in Memphis?
By Resource Investment Index, City University School of Liberal Arts ranks #34 of 35 high schools in Memphis, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Memphis on the city page.
Is City University School of Liberal Arts a good school?
City University School of Liberal Arts earns 14/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Tennessee 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 Memphis-Shelby County Schools?
Besides City University School of Liberal Arts, Memphis-Shelby County Schools also operates Cordova High School (2,251 students), White Station High (2,046 students), and Germantown High (1,719 students). See the Memphis-Shelby 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.