Enrollment
1,213
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Somerset, KY
Southwestern High School
Federal NCES profile for Southwestern High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 210495000506
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwestern High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Somerset · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 60.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwestern High School has class sizes larger than 70% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwestern High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Somerset, KY.
School address
District: Pulaski County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210495000506 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.4%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwestern High School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwestern High School
Southwestern High School is a higher-need, large high school in Somerset, Kentucky, enrolling 1,213 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.4% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,213 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 114 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #84, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Somerset's high schools, it stands alongside Pulaski County High School (1,113 students): Southwestern High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 15.7:1).
Pulaski County also operates Pulaski County High School (1,113 students) and Southern Middle School (871 students) alongside Southwestern 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 Southwestern High School compares
Southwestern High School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.4% | ▲ 2% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,213 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,213
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$11,722
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
175
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.4 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 85.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 1.7%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 85.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, Southwestern High School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pulaski County, which includes Southwestern High School.
$11,722
Per student
-11%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 56.3%
Federal 17.7%
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 Southwestern High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwestern High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Somerset
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 Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,213 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwestern High School's federal record.
- Compare Southwestern High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pulaski County'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 Southwestern High School
How many students attend Southwestern High School?
Southwestern High School has 1,213 students enrolled. It is a high school in Somerset, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwestern High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwestern High School is 16.4:1, which is 8% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwestern High School?
60.4% of students at Southwestern High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwestern High School?
The largest demographic group at Southwestern High School is White at 85.6% of enrollment, in Somerset, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwestern High School?
Southwestern High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Southwestern High School rank among high schools in Somerset?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwestern High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Somerset, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Somerset on the city page.
Is Southwestern High School a good school?
Southwestern High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Kentucky schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kentucky. 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 Pulaski County?
Besides Southwestern High School, Pulaski County also operates Pulaski County High School (1,113 students), Southern Middle School (871 students), and Northern Middle School (797 students). See the Pulaski County 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.