Enrollment
1,024
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hickory, NC
Hickory High
Federal NCES profile for Hickory High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370219000943
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Hickory · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory High has class sizes larger than 76% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Hickory, NC.
School address
District: Hickory City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370219000943 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory High
Hickory High is a higher-need, large high school in Hickory, North Carolina, enrolling 1,024 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.6% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,024 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #124.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 74/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 288 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,024 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Hickory's high schools, it stands alongside Saint Stephens High (1,268 students): Hickory High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 18.6:1).
Hickory City Schools also operates Viewmont Elementary (509 students) and Northview Middle (481 students) alongside Hickory 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 Hickory High compares
Hickory 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.6% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,024 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,024
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 76% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.2%
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
$11,646
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 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
154
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 35.0%
Hispanic or Latino 29.0%
African American 19.1%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 35.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.1, Hickory High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hickory City Schools, which includes Hickory High.
$11,646
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.9%
State 61.5%
Federal 19.6%
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 Hickory High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewmont Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northview Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grandview Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakwood Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest Primary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Hickory
3 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 North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,024 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory High's federal record.
- Compare Hickory High against another school. Compare schools
- Hickory City 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 Hickory High
How many students attend Hickory High?
Hickory High has 1,024 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hickory, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory High is 17.4:1, which is 10% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory High?
57.6% of students at Hickory High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory High?
The largest demographic group at Hickory High is White at 35.0% of enrollment, in Hickory, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory High?
Hickory High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Hickory High rank among high schools in Hickory?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Hickory, 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 Hickory on the city page.
Is Hickory High a good school?
Hickory High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Hickory City Schools?
Besides Hickory High, Hickory City Schools also operates Viewmont Elementary (509 students), Northview Middle (481 students), and Grandview Middle (347 students). See the Hickory City 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.