Enrollment
2,609
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cary, NC
Panther Creek High
Federal NCES profile for Panther Creek High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370472002810
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Panther Creek High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #6 of 7
- high schools in Cary · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 12.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Panther Creek High has class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Panther Creek High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Cary, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002810 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
118.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Panther Creek High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Panther Creek High
Panther Creek High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Cary, North Carolina, enrolling 2,609 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 93% of North Carolina schools and 40% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.8% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,609 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is led by Asian (48%) and White (24%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.6% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Cary's high schools, it stands alongside Green Hope High (2,304 students): Panther Creek High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.1:1 vs 22.8:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Panther Creek 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 Panther Creek High compares
Panther Creek 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 40% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.8% | ▼ 81% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,609 | 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.
2,609
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 93% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.3%
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
$11,859
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 108 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
Asian 47.9%
White 23.9%
African American 15.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Panther Creek High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Panther Creek High.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Panther Creek High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leesville Road High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Panther Creek High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,411
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar high schools in Cary
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Green Hope High
Standard public school
2,304 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Green Level High
Standard public school
2,283 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Cary High
Standard public school
2,044 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Score Academy
Alternative education program
584 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Wake Stem Early College High School
Standard public school
294 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Crossroads Flex
Standard public school
139 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,609 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Panther Creek High's federal record.
- Compare Panther Creek High against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Panther Creek High
How many students attend Panther Creek High?
Panther Creek High has 2,609 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cary, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Panther Creek High?
The student-teacher ratio at Panther Creek High is 22.1:1, which is 40% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Panther Creek High?
12.8% of students at Panther Creek High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Panther Creek High?
The largest demographic group at Panther Creek High is Asian at 47.9% of enrollment, in Cary, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Panther Creek High?
Panther Creek High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Panther Creek High rank among high schools in Cary?
By Resource Investment Index, Panther Creek High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Cary, 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 Cary on the city page.
Is Panther Creek High a good school?
Panther Creek High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Panther Creek High, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Millbrook High (2,498 students). See the Wake 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.