Enrollment
2,517
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Indianapolis, IN
Lawrence Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Lawrence Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180567001029
👥 S:T ratio 15
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawrence Central High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #15 of 32
- high schools in Indianapolis · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 69.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawrence Central High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawrence Central High School ranks #15 of 32 high schools in Indianapolis, IN.
School address
District: Msd Lawrence Township · Indiana
NCES ID 180567001029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
118.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawrence Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawrence Central High School
Lawrence Central High School is a higher-need, large high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, enrolling 2,517 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.3:1 is larger than about 94% of Indiana schools and 34% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,517 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 420 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Indianapolis's high schools, it stands alongside North Central High School (3,682 students): Lawrence Central High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.3:1 vs 16.3:1).
Msd Lawrence Township also operates Lawrence North High School (2,799 students) and Fall Creek Valley Middle School (1,355 students) alongside Lawrence 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 Lawrence Central High School compares
Lawrence Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.3:1 | ▲ 34% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.2% | ▲ 40% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,517 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,517
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 94% in Indiana - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$12,776
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 420 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
137
in-school suspensions + 227 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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
African American 50.4%
Hispanic or Latino 32.2%
White 10.3%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 50.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Lawrence Central High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Msd Lawrence Township, which includes Lawrence Central High School.
$12,776
Per student
+6%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 56.7%
Federal 14.0%
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 Lawrence Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence North High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fall Creek Valley Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Learning Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belzer Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Forest Glen Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawrence Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,355
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,313
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 1,119
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Central High School
Standard public school
3,682 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Central High School
Standard public school
3,438 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Warren Central High School
Standard public school
3,391 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Ben Davis High School
Standard public school
3,315 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Pike High School
Standard public school
3,188 students 16:1 students per teacher
Lawrence North High School
Standard public school
2,799 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,517 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawrence Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Lawrence Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Msd Lawrence Township'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 Lawrence Central High School
How many students attend Lawrence Central High School?
Lawrence Central High School has 2,517 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawrence Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawrence Central High School is 21.3:1, which is 34% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawrence Central High School?
69.2% of students at Lawrence Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawrence Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Lawrence Central High School is African American at 50.4% of enrollment, in Indianapolis, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawrence Central High School?
Lawrence Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lawrence Central High School rank among high schools in Indianapolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawrence Central High School ranks #15 of 32 high schools in Indianapolis, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Indianapolis on the city page.
Is Lawrence Central High School a good school?
Lawrence Central High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 Msd Lawrence Township?
Besides Lawrence Central High School, Msd Lawrence Township also operates Lawrence North High School (2,799 students), Fall Creek Valley Middle School (1,355 students), and Early Learning Center (1,313 students). See the Msd Lawrence Township 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.