Enrollment
1,165
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Indianola, IA
Indianola High School
Federal NCES profile for Indianola High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191464000872
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Indianola High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 22.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Indianola High School has class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Indianola High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Indianola, IA.
School address
District: Indianola Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191464000872 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Indianola High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Indianola High School
Indianola High School is a large high school in Indianola, Iowa, enrolling 1,165 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 91% of Iowa schools and 25% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,165 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 59 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #40.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola Middle School (818 students) and Wilder Elementary School (456 students) alongside Indianola 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 Indianola High School compares
Indianola High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.5:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.7% | ▼ 38% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,165 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,165
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 91% in Iowa - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.3%
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
$11,417
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
98
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.2, Indianola High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indianola Comm School District, which includes Indianola High School.
$11,417
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 7.9%
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 Indianola High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilder Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irving Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whittier Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Indianola High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,165 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Indianola High School's federal record.
- Compare Indianola High School against another school. Compare schools
- Indianola Comm 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 Indianola High School
How many students attend Indianola High School?
Indianola High School has 1,165 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Indianola High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Indianola High School is 18.5:1, which is 25% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Indianola High School?
22.7% of students at Indianola High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Indianola High School?
The largest demographic group at Indianola High School is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Indianola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Indianola High School?
Indianola High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Indianola High School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Indianola High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Indianola, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Indianola on the city page.
Is Indianola High School a good school?
Indianola High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Indianola Comm School District?
Besides Indianola High School, Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola Middle School (818 students), Wilder Elementary School (456 students), and Emerson Elementary School (396 students). See the Indianola Comm 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.