Enrollment
1,047
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Denver, NC
East Lincoln High
Federal NCES profile for East Lincoln High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370268001110
👥 S:T ratio 11
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Lincoln High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 26.1%
- free-lunch eligible
East Lincoln High has class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Lincoln High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Denver, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268001110 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Lincoln High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Lincoln High
East Lincoln High is a large high school in Denver, North Carolina, enrolling 1,047 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.3:1 is larger than about 93% of North Carolina schools and 41% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 26.1% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,047 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 232 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #80.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 231 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,047 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and Lincolnton High (797 students) alongside East Lincoln High.
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 East Lincoln High compares
East Lincoln High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.3:1 | ▲ 41% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.1% | ▼ 60% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,047 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,047
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 93% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,582
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 102 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.1 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 72.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
African American 8.0%
Two or More 6.1%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 72.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.3, East Lincoln High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln County Schools, which includes East Lincoln High.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 East Lincoln High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Lincoln High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Lincoln High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,047 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Lincoln High's federal record.
- Compare East Lincoln High against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 East Lincoln High
How many students attend East Lincoln High?
East Lincoln High has 1,047 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denver, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Lincoln High?
The student-teacher ratio at East Lincoln High is 22.3:1, which is 41% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Lincoln High?
26.1% of students at East Lincoln High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Lincoln High?
The largest demographic group at East Lincoln High is White at 72.4% of enrollment, in Denver, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Lincoln High?
East Lincoln High has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 East Lincoln High rank among public schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, East Lincoln High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Denver, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Denver on the city page.
Is East Lincoln High a good school?
East Lincoln High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides East Lincoln High, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), Lincolnton High (797 students), and North Lincoln Middle (774 students). See the Lincoln 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.