Public schools in Carmel, IN
18 open public schools with an address in Carmel, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
18
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
17,020
17 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
14.9:1
Indiana median 14.8:1
Charter schools
1
0 virtual
An overview of Carmel public schools
The federal directory lists 18 public schools in Carmel, IN: 12 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high. The 17 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 17,020 students, an average of 1,001 per school. The largest campus is Carmel High School (5,239 students), and the largest elementary school is Prairie Trace Elementary School (715).
Carmel Clay Schools operates the most schools here (15), and 3 regular districts have at least one Carmel campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.9:1, similar to the statewide school median of 14.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 charter school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 2 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 2 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 13% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Carmel
Carmel Clay Schools
Public school district
15 schools in Carmel
Indiana Agriculture and Technology
Independent charter agency
1 school in Carmel
Plainfield Community School Corp
Public school district
1 school in Carmel · 9 total
Westfield-Washington Schools
Public school district
1 school in Carmel · 11 total
Elementary schools in Carmel
12| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 700 | 14.3:1 | |
| Cherry Tree Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 711 | 15.7:1 | |
| Clay Center Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 666 | 13.8:1 | |
| College Wood Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 616 | 16.2:1 | |
| Forest Dale Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 638 | 13.4:1 | |
| Guilford Elementary Plainfield Community School Corp | KG–05 | 434 | 16.7:1 | |
| Mohawk Trails Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 543 | 13.1:1 | |
| Prairie Trace Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 715 | 15:1 | |
| Smoky Row Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 692 | 14.8:1 | |
| Towne Meadow Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 527 | 14.1:1 | |
| West Clay Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 580 | 14.9:1 | |
| Woodbrook Elementary School Carmel Clay Schools | PK–05 | 628 | 14:1 |
Middle schools in Carmel
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel Middle School Carmel Clay Schools | 06–08 | 1,047 | 13.6:1 | |
| Clay Middle School Carmel Clay Schools | 06–08 | 1,415 | 17.4:1 | |
| Creekside Middle School Carmel Clay Schools | 06–08 | 1,428 | 18.7:1 |
High schools in Carmel
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmel High School Carmel Clay Schools | 09–12 | 5,239 | 16.8:1 | |
| Indiana Agriculture and Technology Indiana Agriculture and Technology · Charter | 07–12 | 441 | 220.5:1 | |
| The Pursuit Institute of Hamilton County Westfield-Washington Schools · Career and Technical School | 11–12 | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White66.5%
- Hispanic7.4%
- Black4.7%
- Asian16.7%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial4.5%
Enrollment-weighted across 17 Carmel schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (17,020 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Carmel
How many public schools are in Carmel, IN?
The current NCES directory lists 18 open public schools with a location address in Carmel: 12 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high. Together they reported 17,020 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Carmel?
Schools with an address in Carmel belong to 4 education agencies, led by Carmel Clay Schools (15 schools), Indiana Agriculture and Technology (1 school), Plainfield Community School Corp (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Carmel?
Carmel High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Carmel, with 5,239 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Carmel?
Yes. 1 of the 18 public schools in Carmel are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Indiana Agriculture and Technology. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Carmel schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Carmel public schools is 14.9:1, similar to the Indiana school median of 14.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Carmel guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Indiana cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Indiana cities