Enrollment
456
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Springville, UT
Merit College Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Merit College Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 490013101220Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merit College Preparatory Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Utah schools.
- #4 of 11
- schools in Springville · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- small classes for Utah
- 27.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Merit College Preparatory Academy has class sizes smaller than 83% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merit College Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 11 schools in Springville, UT.
School address
District: Merit College Preparatory Academy · Utah
NCES ID 490013101220 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.1%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merit College Preparatory Academy compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merit College Preparatory Academy
Merit College Preparatory Academy is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Springville, Utah, enrolling 456 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Utah schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 27.1% lands close to the Utah typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the Utah median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Against 286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 228 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 134 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 456 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Merit College Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, so Merit College Preparatory Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Merit College Preparatory Academy compares
Merit College Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 21% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.1% | ▼ 3% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 17% in Utah - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.1%
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
$7,975
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 228 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 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
White 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, Merit College Preparatory Academy is more mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merit College Preparatory Academy, which includes Merit College Preparatory Academy.
$7,975
Per student
-19%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.2%
State 83.1%
Federal 11.6%
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.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merit College Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Merit College Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Merit College Preparatory Academy'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 Merit College Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Merit College Preparatory Academy?
Merit College Preparatory Academy has 456 students enrolled. It is a public school in Springville, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merit College Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Merit College Preparatory Academy is 16.9:1, which is 21% lower than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 8% 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 Merit College Preparatory Academy?
27.1% of students at Merit College Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merit College Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Merit College Preparatory Academy is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Springville, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merit College Preparatory Academy?
Merit College Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Merit College Preparatory Academy rank among schools in Springville?
By Resource Investment Index, Merit College Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 11 schools in Springville, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Springville on the city page.
Is Merit College Preparatory Academy a good school?
Merit College Preparatory Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Utah 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 Merit College Preparatory Academy?
None; Merit College Preparatory Academy is a single-school charter district, and Merit College Preparatory Academy is its only campus.
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.