1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Ben Davis High School right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
3,315
High
DISTRICT 1,400 · STATE 816
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MSD WAYNE TOWNSHIP·NCES 181281002028
Ben Davis High School
1200 N Girls Sch Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46214 · (317) 988-7000 · Marion County
GRADES 10–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL3,315 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
180 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 20.3:1 · STATE 16.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
2,292 students
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 50%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 1 | 0% |
| Grade 10 | 1,154 | 35% |
| Grade 11 | 1,120 | 34% |
| Grade 12 | 1,040 | 31% |
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 57% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like Ben Davis High School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Davis High School this school | 3,315 | 69.1% | N/A |
| Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center Indianapolis | 1,243 | 67.7% | N/A |
| Lawrence Central High School Indianapolis | 2,517 | 60.2% | N/A |
| Shortridge High School Indianapolis | 1,206 | 60.7% | N/A |
| Arsenal Technical High School Indianapolis | 2,360 | 61.5% | N/A |
| North Side High School Fort Wayne | 1,383 | 67.4% | N/A |
Matched among Indiana high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Ben Davis High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Indiana | In Marion County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 3,315 | #10 of 392 | #4 of 40 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.4:1 | #308 of 359 | #24 of 36 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.5% | #33 of 360 | #12 of 36 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 69.1% | #22 of 373 | #11 of 38 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +3.8% | #96 of 133 | #16 of 18 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
3,315
+35 (+1%) vs 2020
+39% since 1990-91, when it was 2,393
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
was 15.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 3,315 | 179.7 | 18.4:1 | 69% (2,292) |
| 2023-24 | 3,274 | 180.3 | 18.2:1 | 68% (2,231) |
| 2022-23 | 3,392 | 183.8 | 18.5:1 | 66% (2,238) |
| 2020-21 | 3,280 | 215 | 15.3:1 | 62% (2,038) |
| 2017-18 | 3,195 | 192.1 | 16.6:1 | 74% (2,359) |
| 2015-16 | 3,124 | 184 | 17.0:1 | 68% (2,129) |
| 2010-11 | 3,364 | 189 | 17.8:1 | 60% (2,019) |
| 2000-01 | 2,415 | 155 | 15.6:1 | 19% (466) |
| 1990-91 | 2,393 | 150 | 15.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Ben Davis High School.
About Ben Davis High School
Ben Davis High School is a high-enrollment high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, (ZIP code 46214). The school's enrollment of 3,315 students covers grades 10 through 12. Enrollment is 306% higher than the average for high schools in Indiana, which is about 816.
MSD Wayne Township, which runs Ben Davis High School, has 17 schools and 16,094 students.
Ben Davis High School has no majority group; Black students are the largest, at 39%. Smaller groups are 37% Hispanic, 18% White, and 5% multiracial. County-wide, 27% of Marion County residents are Black. Ben Davis High School's diversity index is 68%, against a US figure of 70%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 18.4:1, with 179.7 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. The school has more students per teacher than the 16.6:1 average for high schools in Indiana. Lunch subsidy eligibility at Ben Davis High School is 69%. Among public schools in Marion County, the average eligibility rate is 60%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Marion County show that the median household income is $66,346, about 35% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 12%. Besides Ben Davis High School, Marion County has 273 other public schools.
Of nearby public schools, Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center is the closest, at about 0.1 miles. Ben Davis High School has at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Ben Davis High School is coded as City: Large in federal locale data.
Enrollment at Ben Davis High School was 3,280 in 2020-21 and 3,315 in 2024-25, a change of less than 3%. Students per teacher rose from 15.3 in 2020-21 to 18.4 in 2024-25.
Community posts for Ben Davis High School can cover enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Marion County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
975,809
Census ACS
Median income
$66,346
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
12%
Below federal line
Schools in county
274
161,456 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in MSD Wayne Township
- Ben Davis Ninth Grade CenterHigh · 1,243 students
- Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade CenterMiddle · 1,143 students
- Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade CenterMiddle · 1,135 students
- Robey Elementary SchoolElementary · 847 students
- Chapel Glen Elementary SchoolElementary · 843 students
- North Wayne Elementary SchoolElementary · 837 students
Other schools in Indianapolis
- Indiana Connections AcademyCombined · 5,376 students
- North Central High SchoolHigh · 3,682 students
- Franklin Central High SchoolHigh · 3,438 students
- Warren Central High SchoolHigh · 3,391 students
- Pike High SchoolHigh · 3,188 students
- Lawrence North High SchoolHigh · 2,799 students
Nearby schools
- Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center0.1 mi · 1,243
- Chapelwood Elementary School0.3 mi · 776
- Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center0.3 mi · 1,143
- Westlake Elementary School1.2 mi · 736
- Chapel Glen Elementary School1.4 mi · 843
- Arthur C Newby Elementary School 21.9 mi · 223
Frequently asked questions
About Ben Davis High SchoolHow large is Ben Davis High School?
Ben Davis High School enrolls approximately 3,315 students in grades 10-12.
What age range does Ben Davis High School serve?
Ben Davis High School serves students from grade 10 through grade 12.
How many teachers does Ben Davis High School have?
Ben Davis High School employs 180 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.4:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Ben Davis High School?
At Ben Davis High School, the student body is approximately 18% White, 37% Hispanic, 39% Black, 0% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is Ben Davis High School public or private?
Ben Davis High School is a public K-12 school, overseen by MSD Wayne Township.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.