Enrollment
981
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Coldwater, MI
Coldwater High School
Federal NCES profile for Coldwater High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261014004502
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Coldwater High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Coldwater · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.5:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 47.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Coldwater High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Coldwater High School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Coldwater, MI.
School address
District: Coldwater Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261014004502 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Coldwater High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Coldwater High School
Coldwater High School is a large high school in Coldwater, Michigan, enrolling 981 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.5:1 is larger than about 94% of Michigan schools and 51% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 95% of state schools at 981 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,375 Michigan schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 199 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #165, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 34/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Coldwater Community Schools also operates Legg Middle School (616 students) and Larsen Elementary School (463 students) alongside Coldwater 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 Coldwater High School compares
Coldwater 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 | 26.5:1 | ▲ 51% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.2% | ▼ 13% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 981 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
981
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.5:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 94% in Michigan - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$11,844
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
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 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 87 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 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 79.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
African American 2.9%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.1, Coldwater High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Coldwater Community Schools, which includes Coldwater High School.
$11,844
Per student
-12%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 51.8%
Federal 15.6%
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 Coldwater High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legg Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Larsen Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakeland Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Coldwater High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~981 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Coldwater High School's federal record.
- Compare Coldwater High School against another school. Compare schools
- Coldwater Community 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 Coldwater High School
How many students attend Coldwater High School?
Coldwater High School has 981 students enrolled. It is a high school in Coldwater, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Coldwater High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Coldwater High School is 26.5:1, which is 51% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 69% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Coldwater High School?
47.2% of students at Coldwater High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Coldwater High School?
The largest demographic group at Coldwater High School is White at 79.8% of enrollment, in Coldwater, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Coldwater High School?
Coldwater High School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Coldwater High School rank among public schools in Coldwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Coldwater High School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Coldwater, 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 Coldwater on the city page.
Is Coldwater High School a good school?
Coldwater High School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Coldwater Community Schools?
Besides Coldwater High School, Coldwater Community Schools also operates Legg Middle School (616 students), Larsen Elementary School (463 students), and Jefferson Elementary School (378 students). See the Coldwater Community 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.