Enrollment
1,027
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Richlands, NC
Richlands High
Federal NCES profile for Richlands High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370345001429
👥 S:T ratio 25
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richlands High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Richlands · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Richlands High has class sizes larger than 85% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richlands High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Richlands, NC.
School address
District: Onslow County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370345001429 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richlands High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richlands High
Richlands High is a large high school in Richlands, North Carolina, enrolling 1,027 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,027 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 292 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students) and White Oak High (1,252 students) alongside Richlands 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 Richlands High compares
Richlands 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 | 18.7:1 | ▲ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 45% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,027 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,027
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$10,680
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 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
White 67.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
African American 8.8%
Two or More 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Richlands High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Onslow County Schools, which includes Richlands High.
$10,680
Per student
-11%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 57.2%
Federal 21.7%
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 Richlands High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swansboro High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dixon High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northside High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richlands High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,441
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~1,027 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richlands High's federal record.
- Compare Richlands High against another school. Compare schools
- Onslow County Schools'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 Richlands High
How many students attend Richlands High?
Richlands High has 1,027 students enrolled. It is a high school in Richlands, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richlands High?
The student-teacher ratio at Richlands High is 18.7:1, which is 18% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richlands High?
36.4% of students at Richlands High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richlands High?
The largest demographic group at Richlands High is White at 67.4% of enrollment, in Richlands, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richlands High?
Richlands High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Richlands High rank among public schools in Richlands?
By Resource Investment Index, Richlands High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Richlands, 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 Richlands on the city page.
Is Richlands High a good school?
Richlands High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North 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 Onslow County Schools?
Besides Richlands High, Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students), White Oak High (1,252 students), and Swansboro High (1,232 students). See the Onslow County Schools 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.