Enrollment
1,347
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ephrata, PA
Ephrata Shs
Federal NCES profile for Ephrata Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 420927006293
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ephrata Shs earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Ephrata · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 37.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ephrata Shs has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ephrata Shs ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Ephrata, PA.
School address
District: Ephrata Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420927006293 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ephrata Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ephrata Shs
Ephrata Shs is a large high school in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,347 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,347 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 155 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #63.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Ephrata's high schools, it stands alongside Lancaster County Ctc-Brownstown Campus (25 students): Ephrata Shs is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.9:1 vs 1.5:1).
Ephrata Area Sd also operates Ephrata Ms (601 students) and Ephrata Intermediate Sch (568 students) alongside Ephrata Shs.
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 Ephrata Shs compares
Ephrata Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.0% | ▼ 36% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,347 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,347
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 60% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.5%
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
$16,676
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 77.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 2.5%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.3, Ephrata Shs is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ephrata Area Sd, which includes Ephrata Shs.
$16,676
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.7%
State 29.0%
Federal 7.2%
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 Ephrata Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephrata Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ephrata Intermediate Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clay El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fulton El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ephrata Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar high schools in Ephrata
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,347 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ephrata Shs's federal record.
- Compare Ephrata Shs against another school. Compare schools
- Ephrata Area Sd'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 Ephrata Shs
How many students attend Ephrata Shs?
Ephrata Shs has 1,347 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ephrata, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ephrata Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at Ephrata Shs is 13.9:1, which is 2% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ephrata Shs?
37.0% of students at Ephrata Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ephrata Shs?
The largest demographic group at Ephrata Shs is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Ephrata, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ephrata Shs?
Ephrata Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Ephrata Shs rank among public schools in Ephrata?
By Resource Investment Index, Ephrata Shs ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Ephrata, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ephrata on the city page.
Is Ephrata Shs a good school?
Ephrata Shs earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Ephrata Area Sd?
Besides Ephrata Shs, Ephrata Area Sd also operates Ephrata Ms (601 students), Ephrata Intermediate Sch (568 students), and Highland El Sch (438 students). See the Ephrata Area Sd 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.