Enrollment
355
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mercedes, TX
Mercedes Early College Academy
Federal NCES profile for Mercedes Early College Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 483025012441
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mercedes Early College Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in Mercedes · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Texas
- 77.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mercedes Early College Academy has class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mercedes Early College Academy ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Mercedes, TX.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mercedes Early College Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mercedes Early College Academy
Mercedes Early College Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Mercedes, Texas, enrolling 355 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 355 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 1,364 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #705.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 32.1% 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.
Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students) and Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students) alongside Mercedes Early College Academy.
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 Mercedes Early College Academy compares
Mercedes Early College Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.4% | ▲ 25% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 355 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
355
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 85% in Texas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.7%
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
$14,238
per pupil, district-wide
- above Texas avg of $13,644
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 98.0%
White 1.4%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.9, Mercedes Early College Academy is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mercedes Isd, which includes Mercedes Early College Academy.
$14,238
Per student
+4%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.0%
State 54.9%
Federal 32.1%
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 Mercedes Early College Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes H S | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Travis El | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruben Hinojosa El | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Taylor El | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mercedes Early College Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~355 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mercedes Early College Academy's federal record.
- Compare Mercedes Early College Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Mercedes Isd'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 Mercedes Early College Academy
How many students attend Mercedes Early College Academy?
Mercedes Early College Academy has 355 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mercedes, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercedes Early College Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mercedes Early College Academy is 17.8:1, which is 21% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mercedes Early College Academy?
77.4% of students at Mercedes Early College Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mercedes Early College Academy?
The largest demographic group at Mercedes Early College Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment, in Mercedes, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mercedes Early College Academy?
Mercedes Early College Academy 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 Mercedes Early College Academy rank among high schools in Mercedes?
By Resource Investment Index, Mercedes Early College Academy ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Mercedes, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Mercedes on the city page.
Is Mercedes Early College Academy a good school?
Mercedes Early College Academy earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Mercedes Isd?
Besides Mercedes Early College Academy, Mercedes Isd also operates Mercedes H S (903 students), Sgt Manuel Chacon Middle (518 students), and Travis El (478 students). See the Mercedes Isd 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.