Enrollment
1,671
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harrisburg, NC
Hickory Ridge High
Federal NCES profile for Hickory Ridge High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370053002833
👥 S:T ratio 18
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory Ridge High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 17.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory Ridge High has class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Ridge High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, NC.
School address
District: Cabarrus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370053002833 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory Ridge High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory Ridge High
Hickory Ridge High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Harrisburg, North Carolina, enrolling 1,671 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.4:1 is larger than about 91% of North Carolina schools and 29% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.2% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,671 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 72 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #46.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 70/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 418 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Cabarrus County Schools also operates Cox Mill High School (1,772 students) and West Cabarrus High (1,627 students) alongside Hickory Ridge 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 Ridge High compares
Hickory Ridge 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 | 20.4:1 | ▲ 29% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.2% | ▼ 74% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,671 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,671
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 91% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,831
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 418 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
97
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 46.1%
African American 23.1%
Asian 14.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Hickory Ridge High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cabarrus County Schools, which includes Hickory Ridge High.
$10,831
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 55.3%
Federal 14.4%
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 Ridge High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Mill High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Cabarrus High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Cabarrus High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harris Road Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jay M Robinson High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory Ridge High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,772
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,369
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,368
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,210
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,671 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory Ridge High's federal record.
- Compare Hickory Ridge High against another school. Compare schools
- Cabarrus County 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 Ridge High
How many students attend Hickory Ridge High?
Hickory Ridge High has 1,671 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harrisburg, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory Ridge High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory Ridge High is 20.4:1, which is 29% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory Ridge High?
17.2% of students at Hickory Ridge High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory Ridge High?
The largest demographic group at Hickory Ridge High is White at 46.1% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory Ridge High?
Hickory Ridge High has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Hickory Ridge High rank among public schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Ridge High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Harrisburg on the city page.
Is Hickory Ridge High a good school?
Hickory Ridge High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Cabarrus County Schools?
Besides Hickory Ridge High, Cabarrus County Schools also operates Cox Mill High School (1,772 students), West Cabarrus High (1,627 students), and Central Cabarrus High (1,369 students). See the Cabarrus County 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.