Enrollment
1,290
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Charlotte, NC
West Mecklenburg High School
Federal NCES profile for West Mecklenburg High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370297001286
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Mecklenburg High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 24
- high schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.8%
- free-lunch eligible
West Mecklenburg High School has class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Mecklenburg High School ranks #2 of 24 high schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297001286 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
75.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Mecklenburg High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Mecklenburg High School
West Mecklenburg High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 1,290 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.8% 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 94% of state schools at 1,290 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 86 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 425 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,290 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 19 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Charlotte's high schools, it stands alongside Myers Park High School (3,225 students): West Mecklenburg High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 19.7:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside West Mecklenburg 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 West Mecklenburg High School compares
West Mecklenburg 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,290 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,290
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.8%
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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 74% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 258 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
171
in-school suspensions + 254 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 19 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
African American 49.8%
Hispanic or Latino 37.7%
Asian 5.4%
White 3.8%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, West Mecklenburg High School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes West Mecklenburg High School.
$11,853
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.6%
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 West Mecklenburg High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Mecklenburg High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Charlotte
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Myers Park High School
Standard public school
3,225 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Ardrey Kell High School
Standard public school
3,036 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
South Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,534 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
East Mecklenburg High School
Standard public school
2,422 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palisades High School
Standard public school
2,332 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Julius L. Chambers High School
Standard public school
2,225 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,290 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Mecklenburg High School's federal record.
- Compare West Mecklenburg High School against another school. Compare schools
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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 West Mecklenburg High School
How many students attend West Mecklenburg High School?
West Mecklenburg High School has 1,290 students enrolled. It is a high school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Mecklenburg High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Mecklenburg High School is 17.2:1, which is 9% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Mecklenburg High School?
99.8% of students at West Mecklenburg High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Mecklenburg High School?
The largest demographic group at West Mecklenburg High School is African American at 49.8% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Mecklenburg High School?
West Mecklenburg High School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 West Mecklenburg High School rank among high schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, West Mecklenburg High School ranks #2 of 24 high schools in Charlotte, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Charlotte on the city page.
Is West Mecklenburg High School a good school?
West Mecklenburg High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Besides West Mecklenburg High School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students), Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students), and South Mecklenburg High School (2,534 students). See the Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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.