Enrollment
1,226
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pickens, SC
Pickens High
Federal NCES profile for Pickens High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450333000904
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pickens High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Pickens · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 63.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Pickens High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pickens High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Pickens, SC.
School address
District: Pickens 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450333000904 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.5%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pickens High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pickens High
Pickens High is a higher-need, large high school in Pickens, South Carolina, enrolling 1,226 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 63.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,226 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 107 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #79, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pickens 01 spends $10,622 per pupil, 27% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 268 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,226 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students) and D. W. Daniel High (1,222 students) alongside Pickens 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 Pickens High compares
Pickens High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.5% | ▼ 14% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,226 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,226
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 58% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
52.3%
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
$10,622
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
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 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
180
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 86.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 2.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Pickens High is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pickens 01, which includes Pickens High.
$10,622
Per student
-27%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 47.7%
Federal 14.9%
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 Pickens High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| D. W. Daniel High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richard H. Gettys Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| R. C. Edwards Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clemson Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pickens High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,222
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,226 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pickens High's federal record.
- Compare Pickens High against another school. Compare schools
- Pickens 01'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 Pickens High
How many students attend Pickens High?
Pickens High has 1,226 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pickens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pickens High?
The student-teacher ratio at Pickens High is 14.6:1, which is 2% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pickens High?
63.5% of students at Pickens High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pickens High?
The largest demographic group at Pickens High is White at 86.5% of enrollment, in Pickens, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pickens High?
Pickens High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Pickens High rank among public schools in Pickens?
By Resource Investment Index, Pickens High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Pickens, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pickens on the city page.
Is Pickens High a good school?
Pickens High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South 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 Pickens 01?
Besides Pickens High, Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students), D. W. Daniel High (1,222 students), and Richard H. Gettys Middle (1,217 students). See the Pickens 01 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.