Enrollment
1,212
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ruston, LA
Ruston High School
Federal NCES profile for Ruston High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220099000752
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruston High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Ruston · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruston High School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruston High School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Ruston, LA.
School address
District: Lincoln Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220099000752 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruston High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruston High School
Ruston High School is a higher-need, large high school in Ruston, Louisiana, enrolling 1,212 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Louisiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Louisiana, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,212 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Among 112 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (43%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Discipline events run high: 362 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,212 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 42 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lincoln Parish also operates Ruston Junior High School (585 students) and Choudrant Elementary School (536 students) alongside Ruston 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 Ruston High School compares
Ruston High School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▼ 20% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,212 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,212
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 38% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,391
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
172
in-school suspensions + 190 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 42 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 45.0%
African American 43.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 1.7%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Ruston High School is more mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Parish, which includes Ruston High School.
$15,391
Per student
-6%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 33.0%
Federal 14.3%
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 Ruston High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Choudrant Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Simsboro High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glen View Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Choudrant High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruston High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,212 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruston High School's federal record.
- Compare Ruston High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln Parish'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 Ruston High School
How many students attend Ruston High School?
Ruston High School has 1,212 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ruston, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruston High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruston High School is 15.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 3% 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 Ruston High School?
50.0% of students at Ruston High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruston High School?
The largest demographic group at Ruston High School is White at 45.0% of enrollment, in Ruston, LA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruston High School?
Ruston High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Ruston High School rank among public schools in Ruston?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruston High School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Ruston, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ruston on the city page.
Is Ruston High School a good school?
Ruston High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Louisiana. 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 Lincoln Parish?
Besides Ruston High School, Lincoln Parish also operates Ruston Junior High School (585 students), Choudrant Elementary School (536 students), and Simsboro High School (532 students). See the Lincoln Parish 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.