Enrollment
2,115
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Merrillville, IN
Merrillville High School
Federal NCES profile for Merrillville High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180969001586
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merrillville High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #1 of 9
- public schools in Merrillville · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 55.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Merrillville High School has class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merrillville High School ranks #1 of 9 public schools in Merrillville, IN.
School address
District: Merrillville Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180969001586 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
125.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merrillville High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merrillville High School
Merrillville High School is a higher-need, large high school in Merrillville, Indiana, enrolling 2,115 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 55.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,115 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is led by African American (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 264 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 644 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,115 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 15 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Pierce Middle School (878 students) and Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students) alongside Merrillville 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 Merrillville High School compares
Merrillville High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▲ 12% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,115 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
2,115
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 70% in Indiana - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.1%
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
$11,764
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 264 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
379
in-school suspensions + 265 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 15 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 69.8%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
White 5.9%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.3, Merrillville High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrillville Community School Corp, which includes Merrillville High School.
$11,764
Per student
-3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.9%
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 Merrillville High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Merrillville Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jonas E Salk Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Homer Iddings Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henry P Fieler Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merrillville High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,115 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merrillville High School's federal record.
- Compare Merrillville High School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrillville Community School Corp'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 Merrillville High School
How many students attend Merrillville High School?
Merrillville High School has 2,115 students enrolled. It is a high school in Merrillville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merrillville High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merrillville High School is 16.9:1, which is 6% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merrillville High School?
55.4% of students at Merrillville High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merrillville High School?
The largest demographic group at Merrillville High School is African American at 69.8% of enrollment, in Merrillville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merrillville High School?
Merrillville High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Merrillville High School rank among public schools in Merrillville?
By Resource Investment Index, Merrillville High School ranks #1 of 9 public schools in Merrillville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Merrillville on the city page.
Is Merrillville High School a good school?
Merrillville High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 Merrillville Community School Corp?
Besides Merrillville High School, Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Pierce Middle School (878 students), Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students), and Jonas E Salk Elementary School (565 students). See the Merrillville Community School Corp 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.