Enrollment
1,663
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Kearney, NE
Kearney High School
Federal NCES profile for Kearney High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 317239001105
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kearney High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Nebraska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Nebraska.
- #13 of 15
- public schools in Kearney · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Kearney High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kearney High School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Kearney, NE.
School address
District: Kearney Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317239001105 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kearney High School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kearney High School
Kearney High School is a large high school in Kearney, Nebraska, enrolling 1,663 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Nebraska schools and 37% above the 13.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.4% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Nebraska, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,663 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,003 Nebraska schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 416 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kearney Public Schools spends $11,003 per pupil, 38% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Kearney Public Schools also operates Horizon Middle School (648 students) and Sunrise Middle School (536 students) alongside Kearney 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 Kearney High School compares
Kearney High School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.5:1 | ▲ 37% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 8% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,663 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
1,663
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 93% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.4%
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
$11,003
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
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 416 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
African American 2.3%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Kearney High School is about as mixed as the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kearney Public Schools, which includes Kearney High School.
$11,003
Per student
-38%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.2%
State 22.5%
Federal 10.2%
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 Kearney High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kearney High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,663 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kearney High School's federal record.
- Compare Kearney High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kearney Public 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 Kearney High School
How many students attend Kearney High School?
Kearney High School has 1,663 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kearney, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kearney High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kearney High School is 18.5:1, which is 37% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kearney High School?
28.4% of students at Kearney High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kearney High School?
The largest demographic group at Kearney High School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Kearney, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kearney High School?
Kearney High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Kearney High School rank among public schools in Kearney?
By Resource Investment Index, Kearney High School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Kearney, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Kearney on the city page.
Is Kearney High School a good school?
Kearney High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Nebraska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Nebraska. 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 Kearney Public Schools?
Besides Kearney High School, Kearney Public Schools also operates Horizon Middle School (648 students), Sunrise Middle School (536 students), and Meadowlark Elementary School (417 students). See the Kearney Public 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.