Enrollment
1,454
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lawrence, KS
Lawrence High
Federal NCES profile for Lawrence High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 200840001378
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawrence High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #17 of 20
- public schools in Lawrence · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 39.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawrence High has class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawrence High ranks #17 of 20 public schools in Lawrence, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawrence High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawrence High
Lawrence High is a large high school in Lawrence, Kansas, enrolling 1,454 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.7:1 is larger than about 86% of Kansas schools and 21% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.1% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,454 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 32 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #24, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lawrence spends $12,091 per pupil, 22% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lawrence's high schools, it stands alongside Lawrence Free State High (1,774 students): Lawrence High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 19.7:1).
Lawrence also operates Lawrence Free State High (1,774 students) and Lawrence West Middle School (648 students) alongside Lawrence 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 Lawrence High compares
Lawrence High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.1% | ▼ 8% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,454 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,454
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Kansas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.7%
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
$12,091
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
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 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
50
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 59.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
Two or More 12.4%
African American 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.4%
Asian 2.4%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Lawrence High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lawrence, which includes Lawrence High.
$12,091
Per student
-22%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 59.4%
Federal 6.8%
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 Lawrence High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Free State High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence West Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lawrence Southwest Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Langston Hughes Elem | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence Virtual School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawrence High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools in Lawrence
1 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 Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,454 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawrence High's federal record.
- Compare Lawrence High against another school. Compare schools
- Lawrence'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 High
How many students attend Lawrence High?
Lawrence High has 1,454 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lawrence, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawrence High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawrence High is 16.7:1, which is 21% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawrence High?
39.1% of students at Lawrence High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawrence High?
The largest demographic group at Lawrence High is White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Lawrence, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawrence High?
Lawrence High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Lawrence High rank among public schools in Lawrence?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawrence High ranks #17 of 20 public schools in Lawrence, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lawrence on the city page.
Is Lawrence High a good school?
Lawrence High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Lawrence?
Besides Lawrence High, Lawrence also operates Lawrence Free State High (1,774 students), Lawrence West Middle School (648 students), and Lawrence Southwest Middle School (641 students). See the Lawrence 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.