Enrollment
481
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Houghton, MI
Houghton Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Houghton Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262889006482
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houghton Central High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Michigan schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Houghton · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 19.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Houghton Central High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Central High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Houghton, MI.
School address
District: Houghton-Portage Township School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262889006482 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houghton Central High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houghton Central High School
Houghton Central High School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Houghton, Michigan, enrolling 481 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.3% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Michigan average.
Enrollment of 481 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 456 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #324, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Houghton-Portage Township School District also operates Houghton Elementary School (618 students) and Houghton Middle School (359 students) alongside Houghton Central 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 Houghton Central High School compares
Houghton Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.2:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.3% | ▼ 64% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 28% | - | - |
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.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Michigan - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,319
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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
White 91.1%
Asian 4.6%
Two or More 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.7, Houghton Central High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houghton-Portage Township School District, which includes Houghton Central High School.
$11,319
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.6%
State 64.7%
Federal 9.8%
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 Houghton Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houghton Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houghton Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houghton Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Houghton Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Houghton-Portage Township School District'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 Houghton Central High School
How many students attend Houghton Central High School?
Houghton Central High School has 481 students enrolled. It is a high school in Houghton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houghton Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houghton Central High School is 19.2:1, which is 10% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houghton Central High School?
19.3% of students at Houghton Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houghton Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Houghton Central High School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Houghton, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houghton Central High School?
Houghton Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Houghton Central High School rank among public schools in Houghton?
By Resource Investment Index, Houghton Central High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Houghton, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Houghton on the city page.
Is Houghton Central High School a good school?
Houghton Central High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Michigan 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 Houghton-Portage Township School District?
Besides Houghton Central High School, Houghton-Portage Township School District also operates Houghton Elementary School (618 students) and Houghton Middle School (359 students). See the Houghton-Portage Township School District 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.