Enrollment
1,871
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Canton, MI
Salem High School
Federal NCES profile for Salem High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 262856006419
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Salem High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #5 of 11
- schools in Canton · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 17.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Salem High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Salem High School ranks #5 of 11 schools in Canton, MI.
School address
District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262856006419 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.6%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Salem High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Salem High School
Salem High School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Canton, Michigan, enrolling 1,871 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21:1 is larger than about 86% of Michigan schools and 20% above the 17.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.6% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Michigan average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,871 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #34.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Asian (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Canton's public schools, it stands alongside Canton Preparatory High School (612 students): Salem High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21:1 vs 18:1).
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students) and Plymouth High School (1,816 students) alongside Salem 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 Salem High School compares
Salem High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.6% | ▼ 68% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,871 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,871
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in Michigan - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$13,630
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 58.6%
Asian 20.3%
African American 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Salem High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, which includes Salem High School.
$13,630
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Salem High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plymouth High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Salem High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,816
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Canton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,871 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Salem High School's federal record.
- Compare Salem High School against another school. Compare schools
- Plymouth-Canton Community 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 Salem High School
How many students attend Salem High School?
Salem High School has 1,871 students enrolled. It is a public school in Canton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Salem High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Salem High School is 21:1, which is 20% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Salem High School?
17.6% of students at Salem High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Salem High School?
The largest demographic group at Salem High School is White at 58.6% of enrollment, in Canton, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Salem High School?
Salem High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Salem High School rank among schools in Canton?
By Resource Investment Index, Salem High School ranks #5 of 11 schools in Canton, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Canton on the city page.
Is Salem High School a good school?
Salem High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Plymouth-Canton Community Schools?
Besides Salem High School, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students), Plymouth High School (1,816 students), and Pioneer Middle School (827 students). See the Plymouth-Canton Community 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.