Enrollment
1,126
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lincolnton, NC
North Lincoln High
Federal NCES profile for North Lincoln High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370268002673
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Lincoln High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Lincolnton · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 24:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 23.5%
- free-lunch eligible
North Lincoln High has class sizes larger than 95% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Lincoln High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Lincolnton, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268002673 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Lincoln High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Lincoln High
North Lincoln High is a large high school in Lincolnton, North Carolina, enrolling 1,126 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24:1 is larger than about 95% of North Carolina schools and 52% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.5% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,126 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 182 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 282 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 227 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,126 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lincolnton's high schools, it stands alongside Lincolnton High (797 students): North Lincoln High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24:1 vs 16.6:1).
Lincoln County Schools also operates East Lincoln High (1,047 students) and Lincolnton High (797 students) alongside North Lincoln High.
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 North Lincoln High compares
North Lincoln High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24:1 | ▲ 52% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.5% | ▼ 64% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,126 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,126
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 52% above state mean
Top 95% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,582
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 282 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
165
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.2 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 81.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 2.7%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.7, North Lincoln High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln County Schools, which includes North Lincoln High.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 North Lincoln High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Lincoln High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Lincoln High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Lincoln High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Lincolnton
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,126 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Lincoln High's federal record.
- Compare North Lincoln High against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln County 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 North Lincoln High
How many students attend North Lincoln High?
North Lincoln High has 1,126 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lincolnton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Lincoln High?
The student-teacher ratio at North Lincoln High is 24:1, which is 52% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Lincoln High?
23.5% of students at North Lincoln High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Lincoln High?
The largest demographic group at North Lincoln High is White at 81.8% of enrollment, in Lincolnton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Lincoln High?
North Lincoln High has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 North Lincoln High rank among high schools in Lincolnton?
By Resource Investment Index, North Lincoln High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Lincolnton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Lincolnton on the city page.
Is North Lincoln High a good school?
North Lincoln High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of North Carolina 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides North Lincoln High, Lincoln County Schools also operates East Lincoln High (1,047 students), Lincolnton High (797 students), and North Lincoln Middle (774 students). See the Lincoln County 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.