Enrollment
1,361
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gadsden, AL
Gadsden City High School
Federal NCES profile for Gadsden City High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010162001824
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gadsden City High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #13 of 15
- public schools in Gadsden · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 71.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Gadsden City High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gadsden City High School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Gadsden, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gadsden City High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gadsden City High School
Gadsden City High School is a higher-need, large high school in Gadsden, Alabama, enrolling 1,361 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,361 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 59 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #42.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 340 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Gadsden City also operates Gadsden Middle School (438 students) and Adams Elementary School (433 students) alongside Gadsden City 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 Gadsden City High School compares
Gadsden City High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.7% | ▲ 22% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,361 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,361
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 31% in Alabama - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.0%
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
$12,669
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
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 340 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.7 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
African American 45.3%
White 29.9%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 45.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.6, Gadsden City High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gadsden City, which includes Gadsden City High School.
$12,669
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 57.1%
Federal 24.3%
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 Gadsden City High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Adams Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| W E Striplin Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Floyd Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eura Brown Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gadsden City High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,361 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gadsden City High School's federal record.
- Compare Gadsden City High School against another school. Compare schools
- Gadsden City'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 Gadsden City High School
How many students attend Gadsden City High School?
Gadsden City High School has 1,361 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gadsden, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gadsden City High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gadsden City High School is 16.2:1, which is 8% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 3% higher 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 Gadsden City High School?
71.7% of students at Gadsden City High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gadsden City High School?
The largest demographic group at Gadsden City High School is African American at 45.3% of enrollment, in Gadsden, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gadsden City High School?
Gadsden City High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Gadsden City High School rank among public schools in Gadsden?
By Resource Investment Index, Gadsden City High School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Gadsden, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Gadsden on the city page.
Is Gadsden City High School a good school?
Gadsden City High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Gadsden City?
Besides Gadsden City High School, Gadsden City also operates Gadsden Middle School (438 students), Adams Elementary School (433 students), and W E Striplin Elementary School (400 students). See the Gadsden City 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.