Enrollment
138
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Bend, IN
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend
Federal NCES profile for Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180021402689Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 66
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 98% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana.
- #7 of 8
- high schools in South Bend · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 8.6:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend has class sizes smaller than 98% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend ranks #7 of 8 high schools in South Bend, IN.
School address
District: Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend · Indiana
NCES ID 180021402689 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is a higher-need, small charter high school in South Bend, Indiana, enrolling 138 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.6:1, Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is leaner than roughly 98% of Indiana schools and 46% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Indiana schools, with 138 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 59 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #53, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend spends $17,194 per pupil, 42% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among South Bend's high schools, it stands alongside Adams High School (1,966 students): Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.6:1 vs 15.9:1).
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is a single-school charter district, so Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 138 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of Indiana's single-school districts.
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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend compares
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.6:1 | ▼ 46% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▲ 13% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 138 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.6:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
138
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.6:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 2% in Indiana - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.5%
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
$17,194
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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 39.1%
Hispanic or Latino 31.9%
African American 21.0%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 39.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.7, Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend, which includes Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend.
$17,194
Per student
+42%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 62.6%
Federal 12.5%
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.
Similar high schools in South Bend
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Adams High School
Standard public school
1,966 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Riley High School
Standard public school
1,238 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Washington High School
Standard public school
795 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Clay High School
Standard public school
628 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Career Academy High School
Standard public school
481 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Excel Center - South Bend
Standard public school
296 students 29.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~138 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend's federal record.
- Compare Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend against another school. Compare schools
- Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend'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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend
How many students attend Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend has 138 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Bend, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
The student-teacher ratio at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is 8.6:1, which is 46% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 45% lower 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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
56.0% of students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
The largest demographic group at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is White at 39.1% of enrollment, in South Bend, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend rank among high schools in South Bend?
By Resource Investment Index, Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend ranks #7 of 8 high schools in South Bend, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in South Bend on the city page.
Is Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend a good school?
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 98% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?
None; Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is a single-school charter district, and Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is its only campus.
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.