Enrollment
1,260
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Madison, MS
Madison Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Madison Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280279001220
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Madison Central High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 20.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Madison Central High School has class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Madison Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Madison, MS.
School address
District: Madison Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280279001220 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Madison Central High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Madison Central High School
Madison Central High School is a large high school in Madison, Mississippi, enrolling 1,260 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.1% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the Mississippi average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,260 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 315 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 276 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,260 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Madison's high schools, it stands alongside Germantown High School (1,411 students): Madison Central High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 17:1).
Madison Co School Dist also operates Germantown High School (1,411 students) and Madison Middle School (1,180 students) alongside Madison 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 Madison Central High School compares
Madison Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 75% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,260 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,260
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$11,127
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 315 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
187
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 57.7%
African American 28.8%
Asian 8.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 57.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Madison Central High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Co School Dist, which includes Madison Central High School.
$11,127
Per student
-7%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 40.6%
Federal 10.9%
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 Madison Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Germantown Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridgeland High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Station Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Madison Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,008
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 995
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 980
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Madison
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 Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,260 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Madison Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Madison Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Co School Dist'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 Madison Central High School
How many students attend Madison Central High School?
Madison Central High School has 1,260 students enrolled. It is a high school in Madison, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Madison Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Madison Central High School is 14.8:1, which is 11% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Madison Central High School?
20.1% of students at Madison Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Madison Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Madison Central High School is White at 57.7% of enrollment, in Madison, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Madison Central High School?
Madison Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Madison Central High School rank among high schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Madison Central High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Madison, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Madison Central High School a good school?
Madison Central High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi. 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 Madison Co School Dist?
Besides Madison Central High School, Madison Co School Dist also operates Germantown High School (1,411 students), Madison Middle School (1,180 students), and Germantown Middle School (1,008 students). See the Madison Co School Dist 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.