Enrollment
779
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Atlanta, GA
Mcnair High School
Federal NCES profile for Mcnair 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 130174000712
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcnair High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #5 of 19
- high schools in Atlanta · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcnair High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair High School ranks #5 of 19 high schools in Atlanta, GA.
School address
District: Dekalb County · Georgia
NCES ID 130174000712 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcnair High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcnair High School
Mcnair High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Atlanta, Georgia, enrolling 779 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 86% of Georgia schools and 20% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 779 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 366 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #95.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 159 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 259 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 779 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Atlanta's high schools, it stands alongside North Atlanta High School (2,368 students): Mcnair High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 16.1:1).
Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students) and Dunwoody High School (2,012 students) alongside Mcnair 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 Mcnair High School compares
Mcnair High School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 779 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
779
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in Georgia - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
58.9%
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
$15,594
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.9 FTE
Per 159 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 258 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.2 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
African American 88.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 0.8%
White 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 88.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.2, Mcnair High School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb County, which includes Mcnair High School.
$15,594
Per student
+12%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.6%
State 32.7%
Federal 15.7%
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 Mcnair High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dunwoody High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chamblee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cross Keys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sequoyah Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcnair High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,234
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,867
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,713
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Atlanta
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Atlanta High School
Standard public school
2,368 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Lakeside High School
Standard public school
2,234 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Westlake High School
Standard public school
2,056 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Riverwood International Charter School
Standard public school
1,737 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Midtown High School
Standard public school
1,696 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Maynard Jackson High School
Standard public school
1,549 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~779 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcnair High School's federal record.
- Compare Mcnair High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb County'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 Mcnair High School
How many students attend Mcnair High School?
Mcnair High School has 779 students enrolled. It is a high school in Atlanta, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcnair High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcnair High School is 17.3:1, which is 20% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcnair High School?
100.0% of students at Mcnair High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcnair High School?
The largest demographic group at Mcnair High School is African American at 88.3% of enrollment, in Atlanta, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcnair High School?
Mcnair 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 Mcnair High School rank among high schools in Atlanta?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcnair High School ranks #5 of 19 high schools in Atlanta, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Atlanta on the city page.
Is Mcnair High School a good school?
Mcnair High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools. 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 Dekalb County?
Besides Mcnair High School, Dekalb County also operates Lakeside High School (2,234 students), Dunwoody High School (2,012 students), and Chamblee High School (1,867 students). See the Dekalb County 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.