Enrollment
2,097
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Trenton, NJ
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus
Federal NCES profile for Trenton Central High School - Main Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341629003200
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey.
- #18 of 21
- public schools in Trenton · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.5:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 52.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus has class sizes larger than 81% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Trenton Central High School - Main Campus ranks #18 of 21 public schools in Trenton, NJ.
School address
District: Trenton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341629003200 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
155.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Trenton Central High School - Main Campus compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus is a higher-need, large high school in Trenton, New Jersey, enrolling 2,097 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,097 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 30 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #28, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 46/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 419 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Trenton's high schools, it stands alongside Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy (890 students): Trenton Central High School - Main Campus is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 15.3:1).
Trenton Public School District also operates Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy (890 students) and Daylight/Twilight High School (756 students) alongside Trenton Central High School - Main Campus.
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 Trenton Central High School - Main Campus compares
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.3% | ▲ 77% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,097 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,097
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.0%
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
$22,017
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 419 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 165 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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
Hispanic or Latino 66.7%
African American 31.1%
White 1.1%
Two or More 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.8, Trenton Central High School - Main Campus is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Trenton Public School District, which includes Trenton Central High School - Main Campus.
$22,017
Per student
-12%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.9%
State 82.1%
Federal 12.0%
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 Trenton Central High School - Main Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Daylight/Twilight High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dunn Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hedgepeth Williams Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Trenton Central High School - Main Campus's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 703
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Trenton
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy
Standard public school
890 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Mercer County Technical School Health Sciences Academy
Vocational / career-technical school
137 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Marie H Katzenbach High School
Special-education school
33 students 1.9:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,097 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Trenton Central High School - Main Campus's federal record.
- Compare Trenton Central High School - Main Campus against another school. Compare schools
- Trenton Public School District'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 Trenton Central High School - Main Campus
How many students attend Trenton Central High School - Main Campus?
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus has 2,097 students enrolled. It is a high school in Trenton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus is 13.5:1, which is 14% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus?
52.3% of students at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Trenton Central High School - Main Campus?
The largest demographic group at Trenton Central High School - Main Campus is Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment, in Trenton, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Trenton Central High School - Main Campus?
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Trenton Central High School - Main Campus rank among public schools in Trenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Trenton Central High School - Main Campus ranks #18 of 21 public schools in Trenton, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Trenton on the city page.
Is Trenton Central High School - Main Campus a good school?
Trenton Central High School - Main Campus earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey. 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 Trenton Public School District?
Besides Trenton Central High School - Main Campus, Trenton Public School District also operates Trenton Central High School-9th Grade Academy (890 students), Daylight/Twilight High School (756 students), and Dunn Middle School (703 students). See the Trenton Public School District 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.