Enrollment
1,272
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hudson, NC
South Caldwell High
Federal NCES profile for South Caldwell High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370058000239
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Caldwell High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Hudson · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 46.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South Caldwell High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Caldwell High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Hudson, NC.
School address
District: Caldwell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370058000239 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Caldwell High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Caldwell High
South Caldwell High is a large high school in Hudson, North Carolina, enrolling 1,272 students.
At 15:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,272 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 216 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #96.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 353 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,272 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Hudson's high schools, it stands alongside Caldwell Early College (387 students): South Caldwell High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 22.8:1).
Caldwell County Schools also operates Hibriten High (818 students) and Hudson Elementary (665 students) alongside South Caldwell 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 South Caldwell High compares
South Caldwell 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.8% | ▼ 29% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,272 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,272
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 49% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
61.9%
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
$11,644
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
162
in-school suspensions + 191 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.8 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 81.0%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.7, South Caldwell High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caldwell County Schools, which includes South Caldwell High.
$11,644
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 57.4%
Federal 26.1%
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 South Caldwell High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hibriten High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hudson Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Granite Falls Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Caldwell High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hudson Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Caldwell High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools in Hudson
2 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 North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,272 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Caldwell High's federal record.
- Compare South Caldwell High against another school. Compare schools
- Caldwell County 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 South Caldwell High
How many students attend South Caldwell High?
South Caldwell High has 1,272 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hudson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Caldwell High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Caldwell High is 15:1, which is 5% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 South Caldwell High?
46.8% of students at South Caldwell High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Caldwell High?
The largest demographic group at South Caldwell High is White at 81.0% of enrollment, in Hudson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Caldwell High?
South Caldwell High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 South Caldwell High rank among high schools in Hudson?
By Resource Investment Index, South Caldwell High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Hudson, 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 Hudson on the city page.
Is South Caldwell High a good school?
South Caldwell High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Caldwell County Schools?
Besides South Caldwell High, Caldwell County Schools also operates Hibriten High (818 students), Hudson Elementary (665 students), and Granite Falls Elementary (647 students). See the Caldwell County 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.