Enrollment
2,122
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Moorhead, MN
Moorhead High School
Federal NCES profile for Moorhead High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 272142001084
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Moorhead High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota.
- #11 of 11
- public schools in Moorhead · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 35.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Moorhead High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Moorhead High School ranks #11 of 11 public schools in Moorhead, MN.
School address
District: Moorhead Area Public Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 272142001084 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.5%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Moorhead High School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Moorhead High School
Moorhead High School is a large high school in Moorhead, Minnesota, enrolling 2,122 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 88% of Minnesota schools and 40% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.5% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,122 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 43 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #39, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 424 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Moorhead Area Public Schools also operates Horizon Middle School (2,158 students) and S.G. Reinertsen Elementary (719 students) alongside Moorhead 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 Moorhead High School compares
Moorhead High School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.1:1 | ▲ 40% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.5% | ▼ 17% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,122 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,122
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 88% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$14,257
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 424 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 68.2%
African American 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.0%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 68.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.7, Moorhead High School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Moorhead Area Public Schools, which includes Moorhead High School.
$14,257
Per student
-7%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 64.8%
Federal 15.9%
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 Moorhead High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| S.G. Reinertsen Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dorothy Dodds Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ellen Hopkins Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robert Asp Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Moorhead High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,158
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 580
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,122 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Moorhead High School's federal record.
- Compare Moorhead High School against another school. Compare schools
- Moorhead Area 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 Moorhead High School
How many students attend Moorhead High School?
Moorhead High School has 2,122 students enrolled. It is a high school in Moorhead, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Moorhead High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Moorhead High School is 22.1:1, which is 40% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Moorhead High School?
35.5% of students at Moorhead High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Moorhead High School?
The largest demographic group at Moorhead High School is White at 68.2% of enrollment, in Moorhead, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Moorhead High School?
Moorhead High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Moorhead High School rank among public schools in Moorhead?
By Resource Investment Index, Moorhead High School ranks #11 of 11 public schools in Moorhead, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Moorhead on the city page.
Is Moorhead High School a good school?
Moorhead High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota. 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 Moorhead Area Public Schools?
Besides Moorhead High School, Moorhead Area Public Schools also operates Horizon Middle School (2,158 students), S.G. Reinertsen Elementary (719 students), and Dorothy Dodds Elementary School (625 students). See the Moorhead Area 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.