Enrollment
1,015
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Elizabeth, NJ
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy
Federal NCES profile for Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 340459003043
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of New Jersey schools.
- #4 of 8
- high schools in Elizabeth · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy has class sizes larger than 96% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 8 high schools in Elizabeth, NJ.
School address
District: Elizabeth Public Schools · New Jersey
NCES ID 340459003043 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+109% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is a higher-need, large high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, enrolling 1,015 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 96% of New Jersey schools and 43% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 62.0% of students qualify for free meals, 109% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,015 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 155 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #66.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Elizabeth's high schools, it stands alongside John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students): Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 13.8:1).
Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students) and Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students) alongside Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy compares
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 43% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▲ 109% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,015 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,015
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 109% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 96% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$24,380
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 81.5%
African American 9.0%
White 6.7%
Asian 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Public Schools, which includes Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy.
$24,380
Per student
-2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 8.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Dwyer Technology Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William F. Halloran School No.22 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,140
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools in Elizabeth
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
John E. Dwyer Technology Academy
Standard public school
1,348 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy
Standard public school
1,272 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy
Standard public school
1,144 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Thomas a. Edison Career and Technical Academy
Standard public school
842 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
K. Johnson D. Vaughan and M. Jackson Stem Academy
Standard public school
740 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy
Standard public school
415 students
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,015 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy's federal record.
- Compare Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Elizabeth Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy?
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy has 1,015 students enrolled. It is a high school in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is 16.9:1, which is 43% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy?
62.0% of students at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 81.5% of enrollment, in Elizabeth, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy?
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy rank among high schools in Elizabeth?
By Resource Investment Index, Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy ranks #4 of 8 high schools in Elizabeth, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Elizabeth on the city page.
Is Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy a good school?
Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of New Jersey schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Elizabeth Public Schools?
Besides Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, Elizabeth Public Schools also operates John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,348 students), Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health & Public Safety Academy (1,272 students), and Elizabeth High School - Frank J Cicarell Academy (1,268 students). See the Elizabeth Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.