Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 12 schools in district

Harrisburg HS

2451 Market St, Harrisburg, PA 17103Harrisburg City SD
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 0912Non-Charter
1,230
Students
Total enrolled
59%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
32% vs nat'l
$24,422
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
70% vs nat'l
16.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
32/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
36% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 1,230 students in grades 09–12 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
70% above average funding
District spends $24,422 per pupil, 70% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 32th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Harrisburg HS is a very large high in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving grades 09–12 with 1,230 students. The district invests $24,422 per student — 70% above the national average of $14,347, with a 16.0:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 32/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Harrisburg HS

1,230
Total Students
16.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
100%
Free Lunch
77
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0912) are served by this school
Gender Distribution679 male · 551 female
55%
45%
Male 55%Female 45%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility100%
National avg 52% · 1,230 students
Student Composition
43%
51%
Asian1%
White2%
Hispanic / Latino43%
Black51%
Multiracial3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 421158006333

Academic Outcomes at Harrisburg HS

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
59
Below avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
59%
State avg
90%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
32
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 32th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 4th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 17103

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$24,422Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$24,422
State avg
$97,525
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$10,746
Student Support$4,640
Administration$2,931
Operations$3,663
Other$2,442
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $24,422 spent per student, an estimated $10,819 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
50%
33%
State government
50.1%
Local (property tax)
32.6%
Federal programs
17.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $24,422/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 59% graduation rate — below the national average of 87%
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (32/100) — national median is 50
  • 100% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location
CountyDauphin County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (717)703-4300
NCES ID: 421158006333
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Harrisburg seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
2451 Market St, Harrisburg, PA 17103
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.