Enrollment
179
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 470014802083 Charter school
City University School of Liberal Arts — Memphis, TN
Federal NCES profile for City University School of Liberal Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 10/100.
👥 Class size 9
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Memphis-Shelby County Schools · Tennessee
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 15.6:1 Tennessee avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How City University School of Liberal Arts compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
City University School of Liberal Arts reports 179 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 46% above the Tennessee state mean of 15.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 43% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 1193 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 59.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Memphis-Shelby County Schools spends $15,292 per pupil district-wide, above the Tennessee average of $12,324 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 37.0% from the state, and 28.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How City University School of Liberal Arts compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Tennessee state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 46% | 15.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 10% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
— 46% above state mean
Top 97% in Tennessee — lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
59.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,292
per pupil, district-wide
— above Tennessee avg of $12,324
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Per 1193 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 179 Top 10% in Tennessee — larger than 90% of 1,844 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 22.7:1 +46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 470014802083
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.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 0.2
Students per counselor 1193:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 59.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which includes City University School of Liberal Arts.
$15,292
Per student
+24%
vs Tennessee
Avg $12,324
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,251
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,675
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
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 17:1 students per teacher
Southwind High
Standard public school
1,675 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Whitehaven High
Standard public school
1,509 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Overton High
Standard public school
1,417 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kingsbury High
Standard public school
1,383 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Central High
Standard public school
1,331 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 22.7:1, which is 46% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.6:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 10/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.