Enrollment
1,900
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Durham, NC
Riverside High
Federal NCES profile for Riverside High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370126002292
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #10 of 11
- high schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 48.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside High has class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside High ranks #10 of 11 high schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126002292 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
99.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside High
Riverside High is a large high school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 1,900 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 87% of North Carolina schools and 22% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,900 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 80 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 238 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
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 31 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Durham's high schools, it stands alongside C E Jordan High (2,189 students): Riverside High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 19.4:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside High compares
Riverside 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.5% | ▼ 27% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,900 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,900
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.9%
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
$14,937
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 238 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
210
in-school suspensions + 126 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 31 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
Hispanic or Latino 38.3%
African American 28.1%
White 25.8%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.5, Riverside High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Riverside High.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
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 Riverside High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Durham
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
C E Jordan High
Standard public school
2,189 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Hillside High
Standard public school
1,433 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi
Standard public school
1,384 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Northern High
Standard public school
1,281 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Research Triangle High School
Standard public school
572 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
J D Clement Early College Hs
Standard public school
380 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,900 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside High's federal record.
- Compare Riverside High against another school. Compare schools
- Durham Public 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 Riverside High
How many students attend Riverside High?
Riverside High has 1,900 students enrolled. It is a high school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside High?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside High is 19.2:1, which is 22% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Riverside High?
48.5% of students at Riverside High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside High?
The largest demographic group at Riverside High is Hispanic or Latino at 38.3% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside High?
Riverside High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Riverside High rank among high schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside High ranks #10 of 11 high schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Durham on the city page.
Is Riverside High a good school?
Riverside High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Riverside High, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students), and Hillside High (1,433 students). See the Durham Public 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.