Enrollment
1,446
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Merritt Island, FL
Merritt Island High School
Federal NCES profile for Merritt Island High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120015000118
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merritt Island High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools.
- #7 of 9
- public schools in Merritt Island · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.1:1
- large classes for Florida
- 31.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Merritt Island High School has class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merritt Island High School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Merritt Island, FL.
School address
NCES ID 120015000118 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.0%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merritt Island High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merritt Island High School
Merritt Island High School is a large high school in Merritt Island, Florida, enrolling 1,446 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Florida, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,446 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #133.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.8% 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 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students) and Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students) alongside Merritt Island 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 Merritt Island High School compares
Merritt Island High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.1:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.0% | ▼ 40% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,446 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,446
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Florida - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$10,368
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 207 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 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 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 7.8%
African American 5.3%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Merritt Island High School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brevard, which includes Merritt Island High School.
$10,368
Per student
-7%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 37.1%
Federal 17.8%
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 Merritt Island High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viera High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Melbourne Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Odyssey Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merritt Island High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,446 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merritt Island High School's federal record.
- Compare Merritt Island High School against another school. Compare schools
- Brevard'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 Merritt Island High School
How many students attend Merritt Island High School?
Merritt Island High School has 1,446 students enrolled. It is a high school in Merritt Island, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merritt Island High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merritt Island High School is 20.1:1, which is 13% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merritt Island High School?
31.0% of students at Merritt Island High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merritt Island High School?
The largest demographic group at Merritt Island High School is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Merritt Island, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merritt Island High School?
Merritt Island High School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Merritt Island High School rank among public schools in Merritt Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Merritt Island High School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Merritt Island, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Merritt Island on the city page.
Is Merritt Island High School a good school?
Merritt Island High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida 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 Brevard?
Besides Merritt Island High School, Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students), Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students), and Bayside High School (2,122 students). See the Brevard 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.