Enrollment
680
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Selma, AL
Selma High School
Federal NCES profile for Selma High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010297001160
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Selma High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #11 of 14
- public schools in Selma · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 82.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Selma High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Selma High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Selma, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Selma High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Selma High School
Selma High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Selma, Alabama, enrolling 680 students.
At 17.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 82.8% of students qualify for free meals, 41% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 680 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 198 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #105.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 340 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Selma's high schools, it stands alongside Southside High School (285 students): Selma High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 13.6:1).
Selma City also operates Edgewood Elementary School (402 students) and Meadowview Elementary School (334 students) alongside Selma 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 Selma High School compares
Selma High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.8% | ▲ 41% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 680 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
680
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Alabama - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$14,289
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 340 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
African American 97.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Two or More 1.0%
White 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 97.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.7, Selma High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Selma City, which includes Selma High School.
$14,289
Per student
+14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 53.2%
Federal 29.3%
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 Selma High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadowview Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sophia P Kingston Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| The Rbhudson Steam Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| School of Discovery Genesis Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Selma High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 279
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 172
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools in Selma
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~680 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Selma High School's federal record.
- Compare Selma High School against another school. Compare schools
- Selma City'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 Selma High School
How many students attend Selma High School?
Selma High School has 680 students enrolled. It is a high school in Selma, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Selma High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Selma High School is 17.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Selma High School?
82.8% of students at Selma High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Selma High School?
The largest demographic group at Selma High School is African American at 97.6% of enrollment, in Selma, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Selma High School?
Selma High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Selma High School rank among public schools in Selma?
By Resource Investment Index, Selma High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Selma, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Selma on the city page.
Is Selma High School a good school?
Selma High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Selma City?
Besides Selma High School, Selma City also operates Edgewood Elementary School (402 students), Meadowview Elementary School (334 students), and Sophia P Kingston Elementary School (305 students). See the Selma City 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.