Enrollment
1,502
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pendleton, IN
Pendleton Heights High School
Federal NCES profile for Pendleton Heights High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 181044001711
👥 S:T ratio 15
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pendleton Heights High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Pendleton · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.2:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pendleton Heights High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pendleton Heights High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Pendleton, IN.
School address
District: South Madison Com Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 181044001711 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pendleton Heights High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pendleton Heights High School
Pendleton Heights High School is a large high school in Pendleton, Indiana, enrolling 1,502 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.2:1 is larger than about 94% of Indiana schools and 33% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,502 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 74 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #71, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 501 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
South Madison Com Sch Corp also operates Pendleton Elementary School (893 students) and Maple Ridge Elementary School (858 students) alongside Pendleton Heights 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 Pendleton Heights High School compares
Pendleton Heights High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.2:1 | ▲ 33% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 45% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,502 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.2:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,502
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
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
21.2:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 94% in Indiana - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.1%
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
$9,834
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 501 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 3.0%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.5, Pendleton Heights High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Madison Com Sch Corp, which includes Pendleton Heights High School.
$9,834
Per student
-19%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 65.9%
Federal 7.5%
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 Pendleton Heights High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maple Ridge Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pendleton Heights Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pendleton Heights High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 858
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,502 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pendleton Heights High School's federal record.
- Compare Pendleton Heights High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Madison Com Sch Corp'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 Pendleton Heights High School
How many students attend Pendleton Heights High School?
Pendleton Heights High School has 1,502 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pendleton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pendleton Heights High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pendleton Heights High School is 21.2:1, which is 33% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pendleton Heights High School?
27.4% of students at Pendleton Heights High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pendleton Heights High School?
The largest demographic group at Pendleton Heights High School is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Pendleton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pendleton Heights High School?
Pendleton Heights High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Pendleton Heights High School rank among public schools in Pendleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Pendleton Heights High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Pendleton, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pendleton on the city page.
Is Pendleton Heights High School a good school?
Pendleton Heights High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 South Madison Com Sch Corp?
Besides Pendleton Heights High School, South Madison Com Sch Corp also operates Pendleton Elementary School (893 students), Maple Ridge Elementary School (858 students), and Pendleton Heights Middle School (730 students). See the South Madison Com Sch Corp 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.