Enrollment
396
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sanford, MI
Meridian Early College High School
Federal NCES profile for Meridian Early College High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262358008394
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meridian Early College High School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 38.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Meridian Early College High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Early College High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sanford, MI.
School address
District: Meridian Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262358008394 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meridian Early College High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meridian Early College High School
Meridian Early College High School is a mid-sized high school in Sanford, Michigan, enrolling 396 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 396 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 689 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #651, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1980 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Meridian Public Schools also operates Meridian Elementary School (537 students) and Meridian Junior High School (441 students) alongside Meridian Early College 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 Meridian Early College High School compares
Meridian Early College 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.0% | ▼ 30% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Michigan - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.1%
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
$13,255
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 92.4%
Two or More 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 92.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.4, Meridian Early College High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meridian Public Schools, which includes Meridian Early College High School.
$13,255
Per student
-2%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.9%
State 57.4%
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 Meridian Early College High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meridian Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meridian Early College High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 441
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~396 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meridian Early College High School's federal record.
- Compare Meridian Early College High School against another school. Compare schools
- Meridian Public Schools'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 Meridian Early College High School
How many students attend Meridian Early College High School?
Meridian Early College High School has 396 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sanford, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meridian Early College High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meridian Early College High School is 16.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 5% higher 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 Meridian Early College High School?
38.0% of students at Meridian Early College High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meridian Early College High School?
The largest demographic group at Meridian Early College High School is White at 92.4% of enrollment, in Sanford, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meridian Early College High School?
Meridian Early College High School has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Meridian Early College High School rank among public schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Meridian Early College High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sanford, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sanford on the city page.
Is Meridian Early College High School a good school?
Meridian Early College High School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan 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 Meridian Public Schools?
Besides Meridian Early College High School, Meridian Public Schools also operates Meridian Elementary School (537 students) and Meridian Junior High School (441 students). See the Meridian Public Schools 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.