Enrollment
1,876
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Southaven, MS
Southaven High School
Federal NCES profile for Southaven High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280132000196
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southaven High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Southaven · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 64.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Southaven High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southaven High School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Southaven, MS.
School address
District: Desoto Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280132000196 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
112.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.5%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southaven High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southaven High School
Southaven High School is a higher-need, large high school in Southaven, Mississippi, enrolling 1,876 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.8:1 is larger than about 93% of Mississippi schools and 26% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 64.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Mississippi, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,876 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 26 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and White (18%) (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 469 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Desoto Co School Dist spends $8,778 per pupil, 27% below the Mississippi average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 469 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,876 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Southaven's high schools, it stands alongside Desoto Central High School (2,004 students): Southaven High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 19.1:1).
Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students) and Hernando High School (1,529 students) alongside Southaven 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 Southaven High School compares
Southaven High School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 26% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.5% | ▼ 20% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,876 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,876
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 93% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,778
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 469 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
309
in-school suspensions + 160 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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
African American 61.1%
White 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, Southaven High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto Co School Dist, which includes Southaven High School.
$8,778
Per student
-27%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 51.9%
Federal 14.3%
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 Southaven High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desoto Central High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hernando High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southaven Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Desoto Central Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lewisburg High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southaven High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,330
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in Southaven
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 Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,876 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southaven High School's federal record.
- Compare Southaven High School against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto Co School Dist'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 Southaven High School
How many students attend Southaven High School?
Southaven High School has 1,876 students enrolled. It is a high school in Southaven, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southaven High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southaven High School is 16.8:1, which is 26% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southaven High School?
64.5% of students at Southaven High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southaven High School?
The largest demographic group at Southaven High School is African American at 61.1% of enrollment, in Southaven, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southaven High School?
Southaven High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southaven High School rank among public schools in Southaven?
By Resource Investment Index, Southaven High School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Southaven, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Southaven on the city page.
Is Southaven High School a good school?
Southaven High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Mississippi. 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 Desoto Co School Dist?
Besides Southaven High School, Desoto Co School Dist also operates Desoto Central High School (2,004 students), Hernando High School (1,529 students), and Southaven Middle School (1,423 students). See the Desoto Co School Dist 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.