Enrollment
1,590
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Opelika, AL
Opelika High School
Federal NCES profile for Opelika High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010258001070
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Opelika High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #11 of 12
- public schools in Opelika · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Opelika High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Opelika High School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Opelika, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Opelika High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Opelika High School
Opelika High School is a higher-need, large high school in Opelika, Alabama, enrolling 1,590 students.
At 17.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.3% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,590 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #31.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (27%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 398 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 348 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,590 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Opelika's high schools, it stands alongside Beauregard High School (533 students): Opelika High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 12.7:1).
Opelika City also operates Opelika Middle School (812 students) and Southview Primary School (480 students) alongside Opelika 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 Opelika High School compares
Opelika High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▼ 1% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,590 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,590
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 49% in Alabama - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$11,407
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 398 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
281
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 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
African American 54.4%
White 27.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 54.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, Opelika High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Opelika City, which includes Opelika High School.
$11,407
Per student
-9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 46.5%
Federal 16.1%
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 Opelika High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southview Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northside School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jeter Primary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carver Primary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Opelika High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Opelika
1 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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,590 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Opelika High School's federal record.
- Compare Opelika High School against another school. Compare schools
- Opelika City'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 Opelika High School
How many students attend Opelika High School?
Opelika High School has 1,590 students enrolled. It is a high school in Opelika, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Opelika High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Opelika High School is 17.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 10% 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 Opelika High School?
58.3% of students at Opelika High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Opelika High School?
The largest demographic group at Opelika High School is African American at 54.4% of enrollment, in Opelika, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Opelika High School?
Opelika High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Opelika High School rank among public schools in Opelika?
By Resource Investment Index, Opelika High School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Opelika, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Opelika on the city page.
Is Opelika High School a good school?
Opelika High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Opelika City?
Besides Opelika High School, Opelika City also operates Opelika Middle School (812 students), Southview Primary School (480 students), and Northside School (464 students). See the Opelika City 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.