Enrollment
1,769
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hampton, VA
Bethel High
Federal NCES profile for Bethel High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510180000731
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel High earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Hampton · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 86.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethel High has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Hampton, VA.
School address
District: Hampton City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510180000731 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
119.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel High
Bethel High is a high-poverty, large high school in Hampton, Virginia, enrolling 1,769 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,769 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and White (15%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hampton's high schools, it stands alongside Kecoughtan High (1,553 students): Bethel High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.9:1 vs 13.7:1).
Hampton City Public Schools also operates Kecoughtan High (1,553 students) and George P. Phenix Elementary (1,438 students) alongside Bethel High.
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 Bethel High compares
Bethel High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.0% | ▲ 49% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,769 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,769
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 67% in Virginia - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,463
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
318
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 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
African American 66.5%
White 15.1%
Two or More 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Bethel High is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hampton City Public Schools, which includes Bethel High.
$13,463
Per student
-8%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 51.0%
Federal 17.4%
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 Bethel High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kecoughtan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George P. Phenix Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Phoebus High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hampton High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hunter B. Andrews | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,553
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools in Hampton
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,769 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel High's federal record.
- Compare Bethel High against another school. Compare schools
- Hampton City 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 Bethel High
How many students attend Bethel High?
Bethel High has 1,769 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hampton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel High is 14.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethel High?
86.0% of students at Bethel High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel High?
The largest demographic group at Bethel High is African American at 66.5% of enrollment, in Hampton, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel High?
Bethel High has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 Bethel High rank among high schools in Hampton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Hampton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Hampton on the city page.
Is Bethel High a good school?
Bethel High earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Hampton City Public Schools?
Besides Bethel High, Hampton City Public Schools also operates Kecoughtan High (1,553 students), George P. Phenix Elementary (1,438 students), and Phoebus High (1,391 students). See the Hampton City 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.