Enrollment
1,160
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pittsburgh, PA
Shaler Area Hs
Federal NCES profile for Shaler Area Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422120000460
👥 S:T ratio 55
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shaler Area Hs earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 16
- high schools in Pittsburgh · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 33.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shaler Area Hs has class sizes smaller than 81% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shaler Area Hs ranks #4 of 16 high schools in Pittsburgh, PA.
School address
District: Shaler Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422120000460 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
103.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shaler Area Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shaler Area Hs
Shaler Area Hs is a large high school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,160 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,160 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 241 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #82.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 232 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 319 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,160 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Pittsburgh's high schools, it stands alongside Mt Lebanon Shs (1,772 students): Shaler Area Hs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 14.1:1).
Shaler Area Sd also operates Shaler Area El Sch (870 students) and Shaler Area Ms (589 students) alongside Shaler Area Hs.
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 Shaler Area Hs compares
Shaler Area Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.1% | ▼ 43% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,160 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,160
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 19% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.8%
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
$19,824
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 232 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
225
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 87.5%
Two or More 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 3.4%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.0, Shaler Area Hs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shaler Area Sd, which includes Shaler Area Hs.
$19,824
Per student
+10%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 30.0%
Federal 7.0%
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 Shaler Area Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaler Area El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shaler Area Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scott Primary Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burchfield Primary Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marzolf Primary Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shaler Area Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Mt Lebanon Shs
Standard public school
1,772 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
North Hills Shs
Standard public school
1,443 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Pittsburgh Allderdice Hs
Standard public school
1,386 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Fox Chapel Area Hs
Standard public school
1,360 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Upper Saint Clair Hs
Standard public school
1,269 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Penn Hills Shs
Standard public school
1,049 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,160 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shaler Area Hs's federal record.
- Compare Shaler Area Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Shaler Area Sd'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 Shaler Area Hs
How many students attend Shaler Area Hs?
Shaler Area Hs has 1,160 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shaler Area Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Shaler Area Hs is 11.3:1, which is 17% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 28% 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 Shaler Area Hs?
33.1% of students at Shaler Area Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shaler Area Hs?
The largest demographic group at Shaler Area Hs is White at 87.5% of enrollment, in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shaler Area Hs?
Shaler Area Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Shaler Area Hs rank among high schools in Pittsburgh?
By Resource Investment Index, Shaler Area Hs ranks #4 of 16 high schools in Pittsburgh, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Pittsburgh on the city page.
Is Shaler Area Hs a good school?
Shaler Area Hs earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Pennsylvania 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 Shaler Area Sd?
Besides Shaler Area Hs, Shaler Area Sd also operates Shaler Area El Sch (870 students), Shaler Area Ms (589 students), and Scott Primary Sch (394 students). See the Shaler Area Sd 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.