Enrollment
1,390
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lancaster, SC
Lancaster High
Federal NCES profile for Lancaster High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450258000691
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lancaster High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 79.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lancaster High has class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Lancaster, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258000691 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lancaster High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lancaster High
Lancaster High is a high-poverty, large high school in Lancaster, South Carolina, enrolling 1,390 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Carolina schools and 22% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 79.4% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,390 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #20.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and White (25%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 796 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,390 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 31 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lancaster's high schools, it stands alongside Indian Land High (1,905 students): Lancaster High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 20.1:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students) alongside Lancaster 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 Lancaster High compares
Lancaster High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.4% | ▲ 7% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,390 | top 6% | - | - |
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.
1,390
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.0%
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
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
502
in-school suspensions + 294 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 36.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 57.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 31 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
African American 48.7%
White 25.0%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Lancaster High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster 01, which includes Lancaster High.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Lancaster High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lancaster High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 1,042
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Lancaster
2 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 South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,390 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lancaster High's federal record.
- Compare Lancaster High against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 01'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 Lancaster High
How many students attend Lancaster High?
Lancaster High has 1,390 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lancaster, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lancaster High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lancaster High is 17.4:1, which is 22% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lancaster High?
79.4% of students at Lancaster High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lancaster High?
The largest demographic group at Lancaster High is African American at 48.7% of enrollment, in Lancaster, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lancaster High?
Lancaster High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Lancaster High rank among high schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Lancaster, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Lancaster High a good school?
Lancaster High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides Lancaster High, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students), and Harrisburg Elementary (1,161 students). See the Lancaster 01 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.