Enrollment
1,583
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pembroke, NC
Purnell Swett High
Federal NCES profile for Purnell Swett High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370393002102
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Purnell Swett High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Pembroke · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Purnell Swett High has class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Purnell Swett High ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pembroke, NC.
School address
District: Public Schools of Robeson County · North Carolina
NCES ID 370393002102 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Purnell Swett High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Purnell Swett High
Purnell Swett High is a high-poverty, large high school in Pembroke, North Carolina, enrolling 1,583 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,583 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 40 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (79%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 27.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 490 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,583 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students) and Saint Pauls High (1,142 students) alongside Purnell Swett 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 Purnell Swett High compares
Purnell Swett 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,583 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,583
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 74% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$12,594
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 391 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
American Indian / Alaska Native 78.6%
African American 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 4.2%
White 2.3%
Asian 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Purnell Swett High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Public Schools of Robeson County, which includes Purnell Swett High.
$12,594
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.8%
State 60.4%
Federal 27.8%
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 Purnell Swett High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saint Pauls High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Springs High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairmont High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Magnolia Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Purnell Swett High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,142
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 779
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~1,583 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Purnell Swett High's federal record.
- Compare Purnell Swett High against another school. Compare schools
- Public Schools of Robeson County'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 Purnell Swett High
How many students attend Purnell Swett High?
Purnell Swett High has 1,583 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pembroke, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Purnell Swett High?
The student-teacher ratio at Purnell Swett High is 17.2:1, which is 9% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Purnell Swett High?
99.6% of students at Purnell Swett High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Purnell Swett High?
The largest demographic group at Purnell Swett High is American Indian / Alaska Native at 78.6% of enrollment, in Pembroke, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Purnell Swett High?
Purnell Swett High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Purnell Swett High rank among public schools in Pembroke?
By Resource Investment Index, Purnell Swett High ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Pembroke, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pembroke on the city page.
Is Purnell Swett High a good school?
Purnell Swett High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Public Schools of Robeson County?
Besides Purnell Swett High, Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students), Saint Pauls High (1,142 students), and Red Springs High (867 students). See the Public Schools of Robeson County district page for the complete list.
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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.