Enrollment
976
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Detroit, MI
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260110304703
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #11 of 20
- high schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School ranks #11 of 20 high schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110304703 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School is a higher-need, large high school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 976 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25:1 is larger than about 93% of Michigan schools and 43% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 95% of state schools at 976 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #81.
Its student body is predominantly African American (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Detroit's high schools, it stands alongside East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney (639 students): Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25:1 vs 15.6:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Martin Luther King Jr Senior 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 Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School compares
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25:1 | ▲ 43% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 30% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 976 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
976
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 93% in Michigan - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
72.3%
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
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 98.8%
Two or More 0.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
White 0.1%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 98.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.4, Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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 Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Munger Elementarymiddle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 954
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
Similar high schools in Detroit
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney
Standard public school
639 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Henry Ford High School
Standard public school
607 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Southeastern High School
Standard public school
602 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Voyageur College Prep
Standard public school
524 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Denby High School
Standard public school
464 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Science and Math Psad High School
Standard public school
452 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~976 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community 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 Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School
How many students attend Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School?
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School has 976 students enrolled. It is a high school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School is 25:1, which is 43% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School?
70.5% of students at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School is African American at 98.8% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School?
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School rank among high schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School ranks #11 of 20 high schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School a good school?
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community 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.