Enrollment
1,245
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Lyon, MI
South Lyon High School
Federal NCES profile for South Lyon High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 263225006755
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Lyon High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #6 of 9
- public schools in South Lyon · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 14.5%
- free-lunch eligible
South Lyon High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Lyon High School ranks #6 of 9 public schools in South Lyon, MI.
School address
District: South Lyon Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 263225006755 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.5%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Lyon High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Lyon High School
South Lyon High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in South Lyon, Michigan, enrolling 1,245 students.
At 17.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.5% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Michigan average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,245 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 124 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 311 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Lyon Community Schools also operates South Lyon East High School (1,174 students) and Millennium Middle School (1,049 students) alongside South Lyon 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 South Lyon High School compares
South Lyon 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 | 17.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.5% | ▼ 73% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,245 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,245
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 56% in Michigan - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$11,755
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
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 311 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 87.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, South Lyon High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Lyon Community Schools, which includes South Lyon High School.
$11,755
Per student
-13%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.7%
State 63.6%
Federal 5.7%
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 Lyon High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Lyon East High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millennium Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William a Pearson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sharon J Hardy Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Lyon High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,174
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,049
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high 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 (~1,245 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Lyon High School's federal record.
- Compare South Lyon High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Lyon 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 South Lyon High School
How many students attend South Lyon High School?
South Lyon High School has 1,245 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Lyon, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Lyon High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Lyon High School is 17.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 10% higher 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 Lyon High School?
14.5% of students at South Lyon High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Lyon High School?
The largest demographic group at South Lyon High School is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in South Lyon, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Lyon High School?
South Lyon High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Lyon High School rank among public schools in South Lyon?
By Resource Investment Index, South Lyon High School ranks #6 of 9 public schools in South Lyon, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Lyon on the city page.
Is South Lyon High School a good school?
South Lyon High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 South Lyon Community Schools?
Besides South Lyon High School, South Lyon Community Schools also operates South Lyon East High School (1,174 students), Millennium Middle School (1,049 students), and Centennial Middle School (898 students). See the South Lyon 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.