Enrollment
1,204
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 370297001221
Harding University High School — Charlotte, NC
Federal NCES profile for Harding University High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 51/100.
👥 Class size 40
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding University High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Harding University High School reports 1,204 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 87.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 48% above the North Carolina average and 89% above the national baseline. The school offers 7 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 201 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spends $15,997 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.2% from local sources (property taxes), 52.1% from the state, and 15.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Harding University High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▼ 9% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.0% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,204 | top 93% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
98.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 48% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 49% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$15,997
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 201 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
171
in-school suspensions + 336 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,204 Top 93% in North Carolina — larger than 7% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 87.0
Students per teacher 15:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.0% +48% vs state
NCES ID 370297001221
Student demographics
African American 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 26.2%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 2.3%
White 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 66.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 201:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 171
Out-of-school suspensions 336
Expulsions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes Harding University High School.
$15,997
Per student
+23%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
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 21.9:1 students per teacher
Ardrey Kell High School
Standard public school
3,036 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
South Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,534 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
East Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,422 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Palisades High School
Standard public school
2,332 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Julius L. Chambers High School
Standard public school
2,225 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Harding University High School
How many students attend Harding University High School?
Harding University High School has 1,204 students enrolled. It is a high school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding University High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding University High School is 15:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harding University High School?
98.0% of students at Harding University High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding University High School?
The largest demographic group at Harding University High School is African American at 66.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Charlotte, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding University High School?
Harding University High School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.