Enrollment
1,703
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Manchester, CT
Manchester High School
Federal NCES profile for Manchester High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 090231000424
👥 S:T ratio 62
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Manchester High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Manchester · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for Connecticut
- 44.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Manchester High School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Connecticut schools. Computed live against every Connecticut school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Manchester High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Manchester, CT.
School address
District: Manchester School District · Connecticut
NCES ID 090231000424 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
177.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.1%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Manchester High School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
What stands out at Manchester High School
Manchester High School is a large high school in Manchester, Connecticut, enrolling 1,703 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Connecticut schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Connecticut, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,703 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Connecticut schools.
Against 18 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 155 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Manchester's high schools, it stands alongside Howell Cheney Technical High School (652 students): Manchester High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.6:1 vs 11.9:1).
Manchester School District also operates Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students) and Illing Middle School (763 students) alongside Manchester 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 Manchester High School compares
Manchester High School on the metrics families compare, against Connecticut and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.6:1 | ▼ 21% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▲ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,703 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,703
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in Connecticut - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
47.6%
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
$27,647
per pupil, district-wide
- above Connecticut avg of $23,870
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 155 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
141
in-school suspensions + 87 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
Hispanic or Latino 36.8%
White 26.0%
African American 24.8%
Asian 8.1%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.8, Manchester High School is more mixed than the Connecticut school average of 50.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manchester School District, which includes Manchester High School.
$27,647
Per student
+16%
vs Connecticut
Avg $23,870
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.2%
State 34.0%
Federal 9.8%
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 Manchester High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Illing Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waddell School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Verplanck School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bowers School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Manchester High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 8.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Manchester
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 Connecticut, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,703 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Manchester High School's federal record.
- Compare Manchester High School against another school. Compare schools
- Manchester School District'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 Manchester High School
How many students attend Manchester High School?
Manchester High School has 1,703 students enrolled. It is a high school in Manchester, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Manchester High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Manchester High School is 9.6:1, which is 21% lower than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 39% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Manchester High School?
44.1% of students at Manchester High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Manchester High School?
The largest demographic group at Manchester High School is Hispanic or Latino at 36.8% of enrollment, in Manchester, CT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Manchester High School?
Manchester High School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Manchester High School rank among high schools in Manchester?
By Resource Investment Index, Manchester High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Manchester, CT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Manchester on the city page.
Is Manchester High School a good school?
Manchester High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Connecticut schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Connecticut. 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 Manchester School District?
Besides Manchester High School, Manchester School District also operates Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy (864 students), Illing Middle School (763 students), and Waddell School (476 students). See the Manchester School District 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.