Enrollment
318
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Muncie, IN
Cowan High School
Federal NCES profile for Cowan High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180702001200
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowan High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Indiana schools.
- #2 of 11
- schools in Muncie · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 42.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowan High School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan High School ranks #2 of 11 schools in Muncie, IN.
School address
District: Cowan Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180702001200 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowan High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowan High School
Cowan High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Muncie, Indiana, enrolling 318 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 318 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 411 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #169.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 167 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 71 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 318 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Muncie's public schools, it stands alongside Muncie Central High School (1,337 students): Cowan High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 15:1).
Its district, Cowan Community School Corp, also runs Cowan Elementary School (409 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 High School compares
Cowan 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.3% | ▼ 15% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 318 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
318
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 24% in Indiana - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.6%
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
$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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 167 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.3 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 90.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.5, Cowan High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cowan Community School Corp, which includes Cowan High 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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowan Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowan High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Muncie
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Muncie Central High School
Standard public school
1,337 students 15:1 students per teacher
Burris Laboratory School
Standard public school
676 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
West View Elementary School
Standard public school
538 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
East Washington Academy
Standard public school
492 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
South View Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Grissom Elementary School
Standard public school
411 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~318 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowan High School's federal record.
- Compare Cowan High 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 High School
How many students attend Cowan High School?
Cowan High School has 318 students enrolled. It is a public school in Muncie, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowan High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowan High School is 13.3:1, which is 16% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 15% 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 High School?
42.3% of students at Cowan High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowan High School?
The largest demographic group at Cowan High School is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Muncie, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowan High School?
Cowan High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Cowan High School rank among schools in Muncie?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowan High School ranks #2 of 11 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 schools in Muncie on the city page.
Is Cowan High School a good school?
Cowan High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Indiana 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 Cowan Community School Corp?
Besides Cowan High School, Cowan Community School Corp also operates Cowan Elementary School (409 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.