Enrollment
1,877
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Charlotte, NC
Garinger High School
Federal NCES profile for Garinger High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370297003245
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garinger High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #12 of 24
- high schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Garinger High School has class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garinger High School ranks #12 of 24 high schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297003245 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garinger High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garinger High School
Garinger High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 1,877 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 87% of North Carolina schools and 22% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.8% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,877 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 28 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (61%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 53/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Charlotte's high schools, it stands alongside Myers Park High School (3,225 students): Garinger High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 19.7:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Garinger 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 Garinger High School compares
Garinger High School 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,877 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,877
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,853
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 245 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 61.1%
African American 30.8%
White 3.6%
Asian 2.8%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Garinger High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes Garinger High School.
$11,853
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.6%
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 Garinger High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garinger High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Charlotte
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Myers Park High School
Standard public school
3,225 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Ardrey Kell High School
Standard public school
3,036 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
South Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,534 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
East Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,422 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palisades High School
Standard public school
2,332 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Julius L. Chambers High School
Standard public school
2,225 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,877 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garinger High School's federal record.
- Compare Garinger High School against another school. Compare schools
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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 Garinger High School
How many students attend Garinger High School?
Garinger High School has 1,877 students enrolled. It is a high school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garinger High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Garinger High School is 19.2:1, which is 22% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Garinger High School?
99.8% of students at Garinger High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garinger High School?
The largest demographic group at Garinger High School is Hispanic or Latino at 61.1% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garinger High School?
Garinger High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Garinger High School rank among high schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Garinger High School ranks #12 of 24 high schools in Charlotte, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Charlotte on the city page.
Is Garinger High School a good school?
Garinger High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Besides Garinger High School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students), Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students), and South Mecklenburg High School (2,534 students). See the Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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.