Enrollment
658
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mcpherson, KS
Mcpherson High
Federal NCES profile for Mcpherson High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 200939000999
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcpherson High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Mcpherson · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcpherson High has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcpherson High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Mcpherson, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcpherson High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcpherson High
Mcpherson High is a large high school in Mcpherson, Kansas, enrolling 658 students.
At 12.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 91% of state schools at 658 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 40/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 165 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.2% 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.
Mcpherson also operates Mcpherson Middle School (474 students) and Roosevelt Elem (269 students) alongside Mcpherson 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 Mcpherson High compares
Mcpherson High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 29% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 658 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
658
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 44% in Kansas - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.2%
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
$17,683
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 165 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.9 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
White 75.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 75.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Mcpherson High is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mcpherson, which includes Mcpherson High.
$17,683
Per student
+14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.1%
State 45.2%
Federal 11.7%
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 Mcpherson High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcpherson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcpherson High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~658 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcpherson High's federal record.
- Compare Mcpherson High against another school. Compare schools
- Mcpherson'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 Mcpherson High
How many students attend Mcpherson High?
Mcpherson High has 658 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mcpherson, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcpherson High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcpherson High is 12.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 18% 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 Mcpherson High?
30.3% of students at Mcpherson High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcpherson High?
The largest demographic group at Mcpherson High is White at 75.4% of enrollment, in Mcpherson, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcpherson High?
Mcpherson High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Mcpherson High rank among public schools in Mcpherson?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcpherson High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Mcpherson, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Mcpherson on the city page.
Is Mcpherson High a good school?
Mcpherson High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. 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 Mcpherson?
Besides Mcpherson High, Mcpherson also operates Mcpherson Middle School (474 students), Roosevelt Elem (269 students), and Washington Elem (256 students). See the Mcpherson 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.