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North Central High School

Q: Is North Central High School a good school?

North Central High School ranks 176 th of 415 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

176^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 415 Indiana High Schools

Better than 58% of Indiana high schools

Summary

North Central High School is a large, comprehensive public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 3,682 students in grades 9 through 12 as part of MSD Washington Township.

The school ranked 176th of 415 Indiana high schools in 2025–2026 — the 58th percentile, or 3 stars — while its district placed 159th of 374 districts. That marks a big long-term gain: in 2016–2018 North Central sat in the 43rd–46th percentile with 2 stars, and it peaked at 91st of 398 (77th percentile, 4 stars) in 2022–2023 before settling into a steady 3-star position (57th percentile in 2023–2024, 59th in 2024–2025, 58th in 2025–2026). Graduation is a clear strength at 94.4% in 2024–2025, above Indiana's 89.7%, and up from 88.1% in 2021–2022. Chronic absenteeism, at 17.5%, is a watch item — slightly above the state's 16.7% — and reducing it could be a lever for further gains.

Compared with neighbors, North Central is mid-upper: it outranks Lawrence North High School, Charles A Tindley Accelerated School, Options Westfield, and Indiana Agriculture and Technology, but trails Carmel High School and Purdue Polytechnic High School North. About 48.37% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch — close to Lawrence North's 51.52% but far above Carmel's 13.34%. Test results are mixed: SAT ERW (47.26) and SAT Math (24.89) are near state averages of 51.9 and 25.6 but below Carmel and Purdue Poly North, and Biology (37.7) trails the district's 53.85. Special education students improved to 4 stars, and male students rebounded to the 59th percentile in 2025–2026. Notably, North Central spends $13,989 per student — more than Carmel and Lawrence North — with a larger student-teacher ratio of 17.8.

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 — 61st percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Above the Indiana median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg42%

Indiana avg39%

176^th of 415

Indiana public high schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 39% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

159^th of 374MSD 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
2026	52.7	176 of 415	57.6%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	53.8	43 of 133	67.7%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	13.5	36 of 42	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	36.5	75 of 122	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	49.3	191 of 395	51.6%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	34.6	118 of 194	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	32.5	272 of 390	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	51.9	162 of 397	59.2%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	67.7	33 of 112	70.5%	★★★★☆
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
2026	59.4	88 of 292	69.9%	★★★★☆
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
2026	93.0	14 of 387	96.4%	★★★★★
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 (2026)96th percentile+39 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)71st percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)70th percentile+12 vs school

African American (2026)68th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile~ school

Female (2026)52nd percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile-18 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)39th percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile-27 vs school

Asian (2026)14th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing47%-5 vs state

Biology38%

Mathematics25%~ state avg

3.7

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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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

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)				ILEARN Math (2026)				ILEARN Science (2026)		ILEARN Biology (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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%)	52.7	176^th of 415 public high schools	57.6%		54.1	177^th of 429 public high schools	58.7%	1	47.3	24.9											37.7	$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%)	78.2	50^th of 415 public high schools	88.0%		65.6	106^th of 429 public high schools	75.3%	56	55.6	47.6											18.2	$12,103	$2,454	$9,649
Options Westfield	Public, Charter	6-12	530 W Carmel Dr	Westfield	46074	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%)	8.6	388^th of 415 public high schools	6.5%		41.2	259^th of 429 public high schools	39.6%	129	21.9	0.0	17.4	18.8	14.6	16.7	8.7	0.0	5.1	4.3	22.7	22.7	20.0	$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%)	11.3	370^th of 415 public high schools	10.8%		21.9	335^th of 429 public high schools	21.9%	35	17.4	4.4		15.0	25.0	21.4		5.0	14.3	10.9			23.4	$7,571	$349	$7,222
The Pursuit Institute of Hamilton County	Public	11-12	37 East Main St.	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Westfield-Washington Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(317) 210-3195	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
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%)	96.3	4^th of 415 public high schools	99.0%		96.4	4^th of 429 public high schools	99.1%		83.1	63.8											78.4	$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%)	32.6	287^th of 415 public high schools	30.8%		27.6	314^th of 429 public high schools	26.8%	27	35.6	15.1											37.4	$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%)	13.8	356^th of 415 public high schools	14.2%		21.2	339^th of 429 public high schools	21.0%	17	30.0	7.5		25.5	15.5	20.0		8.5	10.3	9.5			11.5	$19,128	$3,144	$15,984

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 176^th of 415 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

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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.