Enrollment
409
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Muncie, IN
Cowan Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cowan Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180702001199
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowan Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #2 of 19
- public schools in Muncie · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 53.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowan Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Elementary School ranks #2 of 19 public schools in Muncie, IN.
School address
District: Cowan Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180702001199 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowan Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowan Elementary School
Cowan Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Muncie, Indiana, enrolling 409 students.
At 15.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 409 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 517 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #88.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Muncie's elementary schools, it stands alongside Royerton Elementary School (596 students): Cowan Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 16.6:1).
Its district, Cowan Community School Corp, also runs Cowan High School (318 students).
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 Cowan Elementary School compares
Cowan Elementary 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.8% | ▲ 9% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 409 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
409
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Indiana - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,350
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors0.1 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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 89.7%
Two or More 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Cowan Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cowan Community School Corp, which includes Cowan Elementary School.
$10,350
Per student
-14%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 70.3%
Federal 9.7%
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 Cowan Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowan High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowan Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 318
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Muncie
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~409 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowan Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cowan Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cowan Community School Corp'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 Cowan Elementary School
How many students attend Cowan Elementary School?
Cowan Elementary School has 409 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Muncie, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowan Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowan Elementary School is 15.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 4% 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 Cowan Elementary School?
53.8% of students at Cowan Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowan Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cowan Elementary School is White at 89.7% of enrollment, in Muncie, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowan Elementary School?
Cowan Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cowan Elementary School rank among public schools in Muncie?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan Elementary School ranks #2 of 19 public schools in Muncie, 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 Muncie on the city page.
Is Cowan Elementary School a good school?
Cowan Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Cowan Community School Corp?
Besides Cowan Elementary School, Cowan Community School Corp also operates Cowan High School (318 students). See the Cowan Community School Corp 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.