Enrollment
350
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Durham, NC
The School for Creative Studies
Federal NCES profile for The School for Creative Studies, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370126000531
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The School for Creative Studies earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of North Carolina schools.
- #8 of 33
- schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
The School for Creative Studies has class sizes smaller than 96% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The School for Creative Studies ranks #8 of 33 schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126000531 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The School for Creative Studies compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at The School for Creative Studies
The School for Creative Studies is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 350 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.5:1, The School for Creative Studies is leaner than roughly 96% of North Carolina schools and 46% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 175 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 199 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 350 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Durham's public schools, it stands alongside Nc Virtual Academy (3,482 students): The School for Creative Studies is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.5:1 vs 24.7:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside The School for Creative Studies.
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 The School for Creative Studies compares
The School for Creative Studies 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 | 8.5:1 | ▼ 46% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▼ 24% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.5:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
8.5:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 4% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
59.7%
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
$14,937
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 175 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
107
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 56.9 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
African American 48.9%
Hispanic or Latino 32.0%
White 13.1%
Two or More 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, The School for Creative Studies is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes The School for Creative Studies.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 The School for Creative Studies Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The School for Creative Studies's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Durham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nc Virtual Academy
Standard public school
3,482 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
North Carolina Cyber Academy
Standard public school
2,461 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Durham School of the Arts
Standard public school
1,764 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Voyager Academy
Standard public school
1,360 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Excelsior Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,032 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Durham Charter School
Standard public school
1,010 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The School for Creative Studies's federal record.
- Compare The School for Creative Studies against another school. Compare schools
- Durham Public 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 The School for Creative Studies
How many students attend The School for Creative Studies?
The School for Creative Studies has 350 students enrolled. It is a public school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The School for Creative Studies?
The student-teacher ratio at The School for Creative Studies is 8.5:1, which is 46% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 46% 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 The School for Creative Studies?
50.0% of students at The School for Creative Studies are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The School for Creative Studies?
The largest demographic group at The School for Creative Studies is African American at 48.9% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The School for Creative Studies?
The School for Creative Studies has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 The School for Creative Studies rank among schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, The School for Creative Studies ranks #8 of 33 schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Durham on the city page.
Is The School for Creative Studies a good school?
The School for Creative Studies earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of North Carolina schools. 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides The School for Creative Studies, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham Public 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.