High school (grades 9-12) · Sterling, IL

Sterling High School

Federal NCES profile for Sterling High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 174231004261
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10035/100
👥 S:T ratio
27
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
50
📋 Attendance
35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Sterling High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools.

#5 of 6
public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
35
Resource Index · Typical
18.2:1
large classes for Illinois
999
students enrolled

Sterling High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Sterling High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL.

School address

Sterling, IL 61081
District: Sterling Cusd 5 · Illinois

NCES ID 174231004261 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-53 students YoY

Sterling High School shrank from 1,049 students in 2022-23 to 996 in 2023-24 (-5.1%).

Teacher FTE lost 55.5 → 53.8 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-53 students YoY 174231004261 · Sterling, IL High · MID · TRAD

999 enr · 18.2:1 · RII 35

Nearest enrollment peer: Challand Middle School (726 students)

Sterling High School shrank from 1,049 students in 2022-23 to 996 in 2023-24 (-5.1%). Teacher FTE lost 55.5 → 53.8 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →

Sterling High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Sterling High School reports 999 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Sterling High School compares

Sterling High School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Illinois and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Illinois Illinois avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.2:1 ▲ 30% 14:1 15.7:1
Enrollment 999 top 7% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
999
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher - 30% above state mean
Top 92% in Illinois - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$14,348
per pupil, district-wide - below Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 52.7%
Hispanic or Latino 37.1%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 2.3%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Largest group: White at 52.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 58.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Sterling High School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.

Programs

AP courses offered 12

District finance for Sterling Cusd 5 reports $14,348 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Sterling High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Challand Middle School Smaller No free-lunch data Lower S:T ratio
Jefferson Elem School Smaller No free-lunch data Lower S:T ratio
Franklin Elem School Smaller No free-lunch data Lower S:T ratio
Washington Elem School Smaller No free-lunch data Lower S:T ratio
Lincoln Elem School Smaller No free-lunch data Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Sterling High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Sterling Cusd 5 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~999 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)

Frequently asked questions about Sterling High School

How many students attend Sterling High School?

Sterling High School has 999 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sterling, IL. CCD year-over-year: 1,049 (2022-23) → 996 (2023-24), down 53.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Sterling High School is 18.2:1, which is 30% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling High School?

The largest demographic group at Sterling High School is White at 52.7% of enrollment, in Sterling, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling High School?

Sterling High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Sterling High School rank among public schools in Sterling?

By Resource Investment Index, Sterling High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sterling on the city page.

What other schools are in Sterling Cusd 5?

Besides Sterling High School, Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Challand Middle School (726 students), Jefferson Elem School (450 students), and Franklin Elem School (407 students). See the Sterling Cusd 5 district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .