Enrollment
1,731
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bluffton, SC
May River High
Federal NCES profile for May River High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450111001666
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
May River High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina.
- #10 of 10
- public schools in Bluffton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
May River High has class sizes larger than 78% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, May River High ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Bluffton, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111001666 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How May River High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at May River High
May River High is a large high school in Bluffton, South Carolina, enrolling 1,731 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.9% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the South Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,731 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 36 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #32, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 459 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,731 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Bluffton's high schools, it stands alongside Bluffton High (1,375 students): May River High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 15.6:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates Bluffton High (1,375 students) and Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students) alongside May River 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 May River High compares
May River High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 70% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,731 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,731
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 78% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.3%
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
$16,066
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
322
in-school suspensions + 137 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 53.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.9%
African American 8.7%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.8, May River High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes May River High.
$16,066
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 30.2%
Federal 13.4%
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 May River High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bluffton Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to May River High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Bluffton
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 South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,731 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on May River High's federal record.
- Compare May River High against another school. Compare schools
- Beaufort 01'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 May River High
How many students attend May River High?
May River High has 1,731 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at May River High?
The student-teacher ratio at May River High is 16.3:1, which is 14% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at May River High?
21.9% of students at May River High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of May River High?
The largest demographic group at May River High is White at 53.0% of enrollment, in Bluffton, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for May River High?
May River High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 May River High rank among public schools in Bluffton?
By Resource Investment Index, May River High ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Bluffton, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bluffton on the city page.
Is May River High a good school?
May River High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina. 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 Beaufort 01?
Besides May River High, Beaufort 01 also operates Bluffton High (1,375 students), Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students), and River Ridge Academy (1,134 students). See the Beaufort 01 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.