Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

North Central High School

Q: Is North Central High School a good school?

North Central High School ranks 177 th of 429 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

177^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 429 Indiana High Schools

Better than 59% of Indiana high schools

Summary

North Central High School is a public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 3,616 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the MSD Washington Township school district, which is ranked 195 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Central High School has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 91st to 217th out of Indiana high schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has varied from 2 to 4 stars. The school has shown strong performance for its White and Multi-racial student subgroups, ranking in the top 15-30 in the state, but its performance for Asian, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students is relatively lower, ranking in the bottom half or bottom third. North Central High School's four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.2% to 89.6%, is slightly below the state average, and the school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.7% to 19.2%, significantly higher than the state average.

In academic performance, North Central High School has shown mixed results compared to the district and state averages, performing better in Evidence-based Reading and Writing on the SAT but lagging behind in Mathematics and ILEARN/Biology proficiency. The school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 53.84% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and its per-student spending has increased from $11,833 in 2020-2021 to $13,989 in 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools, North Central High School generally outperforms lower-ranked charter and alternative schools in the area, but lags behind the higher-performing traditional public school, Carmel High School, which is consistently ranked among the top schools in the state.

3,682

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,989

Per pupil spending ?

48.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1801 E 86th St
Indianapolis, IN 46240

(317) 259-5301

District: MSD Washington Township

Feeder schools for North Central High School:

Elementary:	Allisonville Elementary School
	Clearwater Elementary School
	Crooked Creek Elementary School
	Fox Hill Elementary School
	More...
	Greenbriar Elementary School
	Nora Elementary School
	Spring Mill Elementary School
	Willow Lake Elementary School
Middle:	Eastwood Middle School
	Northview Middle School
	Westlane Middle School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.5%

White:

28.1%

Hispanic:

22.8%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare North Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 60th percentile in 2015 → 59th in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Indiana average (90%)

✓Above the Indiana median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg43%

Indiana avg42%

177^th of 429

Indiana public high schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

195^th of 380MSD Washington Township among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	54.1	177 of 429	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.3	184 of 432	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.6	91 of 398	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	59.4	164 of 409	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.8	110 of 388	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	52.8	167 of 389	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.0	206 of 385	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	45.7	217 of 380	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.2	155 of 394	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.4	161 of 400	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	38.1	229 of 379	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	42.6	183 of 353	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.3	159 of 373	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.5	178 of 364	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	46.8	157 of 362	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.3	138 of 364	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.8	139 of 360	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.7	152 of 354	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.3	150 of 349	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.7	79 of 349	77.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	50.3	40 of 132	69.7%	★★★★☆
2024	51.8	42 of 132	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.1	37 of 125	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.1	34 of 125	72.8%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	39 of 44	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	39 of 47	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	35 of 49	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.3	35 of 44	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	57 of 119	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.5	69 of 94	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.1	42 of 74	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	55.3	157 of 387	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	178 of 392	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.1	92 of 388	76.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	101 of 181	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	119 of 184	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.6	71 of 166	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.7	101 of 164	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	245 of 377	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	262 of 377	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	182 of 379	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	206 of 386	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.0	184 of 392	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.0	106 of 383	72.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	69.2	30 of 111	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.6	22 of 102	78.4%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	18 of 104	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	61.4	34 of 94	63.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	61.0	76 of 298	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	37.0	176 of 289	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.3	52 of 285	81.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	92.0	15 of 377	96.0%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	14 of 381	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	96.6	4 of 375	98.9%	★★★★★
2022	97.2	12 of 378	96.8%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2025)96th percentile+37 vs school

Special Education (2025)74th percentile+16 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)73rd percentile+14 vs school

African American (2025)70th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)52nd percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)44th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)35th percentile-24 vs school

Asian (2025)11th percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing51%-4 vs state

Biology36%-9 vs state

Mathematics26%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate North Central High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Sunday, February 26, 2012

North Central is easily among the top schools in the state in every regard. Outstanding academics, athletics, and performing arts are topped by a diverse and involved student body. It is also home to an excellent IB program and an experienced staff of teachers and administrators. Close Quote

by a citizen on FaceBook
Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Dismal. Barely above the level of a third world country school. Close Quote

Schools Near North Central High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)				ILEARN Math (2025)				ILEARN Science (2025)		ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Central High School	Public	9-12	1801 E 86th St	Indianapolis	46240	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 259-5301	3,682	206	17.8	48.4%	1,036 (28.1%)	1,416 (38.5%)	841 (22.8%)	126 (3.4%)	6 (0.2%)	4 (0.1%)	253 (6.9%)	54.1	177^th of 429 public high schools	58.7%		52.3	184^th of 432 public high schools	57.4%	7	50.9	25.7											36.3	$13,989	$1,219	$12,770
J Everett Light Career Center	Public	6-12	1901 E 86th St	Indianapolis	46240	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 259-5265	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Purdue Polytechnic High School North	Public, Charter	9-12	1115 Broad Ripple Ave	Indianapolis	46220	Marion County	Purdue Polytechnic High School North	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 832-1200	229	18	12.7	49.8%	88 (38.4%)	84 (36.7%)	43 (18.8%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	65.6	106^th of 429 public high schools	75.3%		52.9	179^th of 432 public high schools	58.6%	73	62.3	32.8											31.9	$12,103	$2,454	$9,649
Options Westfield	Public, Charter	6-12	530 W Carmel Dr	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Options Charter Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(317) 815-2098	248	22	11.4	5.2%	183 (73.8%)	22 (8.9%)	18 (7.3%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.1%)	41.2	259^th of 429 public high schools	39.6%		16.3	364^th of 432 public high schools	15.7%	105	55.6	0.0	28.0	19.2	21.7	21.9	4.2	2.2	4.9	4.0	25.0	25.0	47.6	$14,340	$678	$13,662
Indiana Agriculture and Technology	Public, Charter	7-12	650 East Carmel Drive - Suite	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Indiana Agriculture and Technology	Yes	No	No	No	(317) 201-8734	441	2	220.5		396 (89.8%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	20 (4.5%)	21.9	335^th of 429 public high schools	21.9%		21.2	340^th of 432 public high schools	21.3%	5	37.4	9.4		36.0	36.2	36.1		11.5	8.2	9.3			17.8	$7,571	$349	$7,222
Carmel High School	Public	9-12	520 E Main St	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 846-7721	5,239	313	16.7	13.3%	3,385 (64.6%)	259 (4.9%)	397 (7.6%)	944 (18.0%)	10 (0.2%)	7 (0.1%)	237 (4.5%)	96.4	4^th of 429 public high schools	99.1%		95.7	5^th of 432 public high schools	98.8%	1	85.5	63.2											79.1	$11,447	$287	$11,160
McKenzie Career Center	Public	6-12	7250 E 75th St	Indianapolis	46256	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lawrence North High School	Public	9-12	7802 N Hague Rd	Indianapolis	46256	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-7700	2,799	150	18.7	51.5%	548 (19.6%)	1,201 (42.9%)	857 (30.6%)	21 (0.8%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	169 (6.0%)	27.6	314^th of 429 public high schools	26.8%		25.1	323^rd of 432 public high schools	25.2%	9	41.3	11.2											23.1	$11,467	$569	$10,898
Charles A Tindley Accelerated School	Public, Charter	7-12	3960 Meadows Dr	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Charles A Tindley Accelerated School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 545-1745	309	24	12.8	72.8%	2 (0.6%)	245 (79.3%)	50 (16.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.2%)	21.2	339^th of 429 public high schools	21.0%		8.9	392^nd of 432 public high schools	9.3%	53	34.3	8.6		8.6	23.1	16.3		0.0	0.0	0.0			25.6	$19,128	$3,144	$15,984
Excel Center - Meadows	Public, Charter	9-12	3919 Meadows Dr.	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Excel Center - Meadows	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 524-3750	396	11	36.0	81.3%	23 (5.8%)	302 (76.3%)	50 (12.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.5%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about North Central High School

What schools feed into North Central High School?

North Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Allisonville Elementary School
Elementary : Clearwater Elementary School
Elementary : Crooked Creek Elementary School
Elementary : Fox Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Greenbriar Elementary School
Elementary : Nora Elementary School
Elementary : Spring Mill Elementary School
Elementary : Willow Lake Elementary School
Middle : Eastwood Middle School
Middle : Northview Middle School
Middle : Westlane Middle School

What is the racial makeup of North Central High School?

Students at North Central High School are 38% African American, 28% White, 23% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is North Central High School a good school?

North Central High School ranks 177^th of 429 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend North Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 3,682 students attended North Central High School.

What district is North Central High School in?

MSD Washington Township

Rate North Central High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

INIndiana High School Rankings

INIndiana District Rankings

Schools in Indianapolis, IN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for North Central High School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.