Enrollment
1,064
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Henderson, NC
Vance County High School
Federal NCES profile for Vance County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370465001823
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vance County High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of North Carolina schools.
- #15 of 17
- public schools in Henderson · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vance County High School has class sizes larger than 76% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vance County High School ranks #15 of 17 public schools in Henderson, NC.
School address
District: Vance County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370465001823 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vance County High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vance County High School
Vance County High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Henderson, North Carolina, enrolling 1,064 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.7% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,064 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 172 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #160, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 49/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 529 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 309 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,064 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Henderson's high schools, it stands alongside Vance Co Early College (236 students): Vance County High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 33.7:1).
Vance County Schools also operates Vance County Middle School (755 students) and Dabney Elementary (385 students) alongside Vance 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 Vance County High School compares
Vance 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 10% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.7% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,064 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,064
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 76% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
60.3%
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
$12,944
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 529 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 290 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.0 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 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
White 6.1%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Vance County High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vance County Schools, which includes Vance County High School.
$12,944
Per student
+8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 23.3%
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 Vance County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dabney Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aycock Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clarke Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| E M Rollins Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vance County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Henderson
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,064 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vance County High School's federal record.
- Compare Vance County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Vance 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 Vance County High School
How many students attend Vance County High School?
Vance County High School has 1,064 students enrolled. It is a high school in Henderson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vance County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vance County High School is 17.4:1, which is 10% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vance County High School?
99.7% of students at Vance 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 Vance County High School?
The largest demographic group at Vance County High School is African American at 68.1% of enrollment, in Henderson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vance County High School?
Vance County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vance County High School rank among public schools in Henderson?
By Resource Investment Index, Vance County High School ranks #15 of 17 public schools in Henderson, 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 Henderson on the city page.
Is Vance County High School a good school?
Vance County High School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Vance County Schools?
Besides Vance County High School, Vance County Schools also operates Vance County Middle School (755 students), Dabney Elementary (385 students), and Aycock Elementary (376 students). See the Vance 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.