Enrollment
432
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rensselaer, IN
Rensselaer Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Rensselaer Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180942001543
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rensselaer Central High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Indiana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Rensselaer · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Rensselaer Central High School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rensselaer Central High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Rensselaer, IN.
School address
District: Rensselaer Central School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180942001543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rensselaer Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rensselaer Central High School
Rensselaer Central High School is a mid-sized high school in Rensselaer, Indiana, enrolling 432 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.3:1, Rensselaer Central High School is leaner than roughly 86% of Indiana schools and 23% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 432 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 522 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.5% 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 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Rensselaer Central School Corp also operates Rensselaer Central Primary School (398 students) and Rensselaer Middle School (363 students) alongside Rensselaer Central 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 Rensselaer Central High School compares
Rensselaer Central 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▼ 25% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 14% in Indiana - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,155
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.8, Rensselaer Central High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rensselaer Central School Corp, which includes Rensselaer Central High School.
$14,155
Per student
+17%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.4%
State 52.2%
Federal 19.5%
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 Rensselaer Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Central Primary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rensselaer Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Rensselaer Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rensselaer Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 363
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~432 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rensselaer Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Rensselaer Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Rensselaer Central School 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 Rensselaer Central High School
How many students attend Rensselaer Central High School?
Rensselaer Central High School has 432 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rensselaer, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rensselaer Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rensselaer Central High School is 12.3:1, which is 23% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 22% 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 Rensselaer Central High School?
36.9% of students at Rensselaer Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rensselaer Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Rensselaer Central High School is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Rensselaer, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rensselaer Central High School?
Rensselaer Central High School 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 Rensselaer Central High School rank among public schools in Rensselaer?
By Resource Investment Index, Rensselaer Central High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Rensselaer, 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 Rensselaer on the city page.
Is Rensselaer Central High School a good school?
Rensselaer Central High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Indiana 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 Rensselaer Central School Corp?
Besides Rensselaer Central High School, Rensselaer Central School Corp also operates Rensselaer Central Primary School (398 students), Rensselaer Middle School (363 students), and Van Rensselaer Elementary School (329 students). See the Rensselaer Central School 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.