Enrollment
536
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bryson City, NC
Swain County High School
Federal NCES profile for Swain County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370444001763
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Swain County High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Bryson City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 45.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Swain County High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Swain County High School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Bryson City, NC.
School address
District: Swain County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370444001763 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swain County High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Swain County High School
Swain County High School is a mid-sized high school in Bryson City, North Carolina, enrolling 536 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 536 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 437 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #235.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 126 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 536 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Swain County Schools also operates Swain County Middle School (453 students) and Swain County West Elementary (403 students) alongside Swain County 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 Swain County High School compares
Swain County High School 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.4% | ▼ 31% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.6%
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
$14,269
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 67.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 18.1%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Asian 0.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Swain County High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Swain County Schools, which includes Swain County High School.
$14,269
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 7.7%
State 63.1%
Federal 29.2%
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 Swain County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swain County West Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Swain County East Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Extension School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Swain County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 110
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Swain County High School's federal record.
- Compare Swain County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Swain 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 Swain County High School
How many students attend Swain County High School?
Swain County High School has 536 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bryson City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swain County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Swain County High School is 13.7:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Swain County High School?
45.4% of students at Swain County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swain County High School?
The largest demographic group at Swain County High School is White at 67.4% of enrollment, in Bryson City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swain County High School?
Swain County High School 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 Swain County High School rank among public schools in Bryson City?
By Resource Investment Index, Swain County High School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Bryson City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bryson City on the city page.
Is Swain County High School a good school?
Swain County High School 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 Swain County Schools?
Besides Swain County High School, Swain County Schools also operates Swain County Middle School (453 students), Swain County West Elementary (403 students), and Swain County East Elementary (338 students). See the Swain 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.