Enrollment
1,024
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Union, SC
Union County High
Federal NCES profile for Union County High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450375001092
👥 S:T ratio 18
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union County High earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Union · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Union County High has class sizes larger than 97% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union County High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Union, SC.
School address
District: Union 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450375001092 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union County High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union County High
Union County High is a high-poverty, large high school in Union, South Carolina, enrolling 1,024 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.5:1 is larger than about 97% of South Carolina schools and 43% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,024 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 135 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (35%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 516 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,024 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Union 01 also operates Sims Middle (606 students) and Jonesville Elementary Middle (557 students) alongside Union County High.
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 Union County High compares
Union County High on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.5:1 | ▲ 43% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,024 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,024
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 97% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.1%
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
$11,834
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
272
in-school suspensions + 244 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 50.8%
African American 35.4%
Two or More 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, Union County High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union 01, which includes Union County High.
$11,834
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 53.3%
Federal 24.0%
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 Union County High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sims Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jonesville Elementary Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monarch Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foster Park Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union County High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,024 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union County High's federal record.
- Compare Union County High against another school. Compare schools
- Union 01'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 Union County High
How many students attend Union County High?
Union County High has 1,024 students enrolled. It is a high school in Union, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union County High?
The student-teacher ratio at Union County High is 20.5:1, which is 43% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union County High?
100.0% of students at Union County High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union County High?
The largest demographic group at Union County High is White at 50.8% of enrollment, in Union, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union County High?
Union County High has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Union County High rank among public schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Union County High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Union, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Union on the city page.
Is Union County High a good school?
Union County High earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of South 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 Union 01?
Besides Union County High, Union 01 also operates Sims Middle (606 students), Jonesville Elementary Middle (557 students), and Buffalo Elementary (483 students). See the Union 01 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.