Enrollment
434
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Newton, MA
Bigelow Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bigelow Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 250861000307
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bigelow Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Massachusetts schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.9:1
- small classes for Massachusetts
- 434
- students enrolled
Bigelow Middle has class sizes smaller than 81% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bigelow Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Newton, MA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bigelow Middle compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bigelow Middle
Bigelow Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Newton, Massachusetts, enrolling 434 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 434 students, its enrollment sits close to the Massachusetts median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 67/100).
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Newton's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Hill Middle (649 students): Bigelow Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (9.9:1 vs 9.7:1).
Newton also operates Newton North High (2,096 students) and Newton South High (1,898 students) alongside Bigelow Middle.
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 Bigelow Middle compares
Bigelow Middle on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.9:1 | ▼ 20% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 434 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.9:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
434
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 19% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$26,734
per pupil, district-wide
- above Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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
White 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.6%
Asian 16.4%
Two or More 10.4%
African American 4.8%
Largest group: White at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Bigelow Middle is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton, which includes Bigelow Middle.
$26,734
Per student
+19%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.7%
State 20.8%
Federal 5.5%
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 Bigelow Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton North High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Newton South High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| F a Day Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Charles E Brown Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bigelow Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,096
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,898
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 860
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools in Newton
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bigelow Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bigelow Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Newton'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 Bigelow Middle
How many students attend Bigelow Middle?
Bigelow Middle has 434 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Newton, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bigelow Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bigelow Middle is 9.9:1, which is 20% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 37% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bigelow Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bigelow Middle is White at 50.8% of enrollment, in Newton, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bigelow Middle?
Bigelow Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bigelow Middle rank among public schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bigelow Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Newton, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Newton on the city page.
Is Bigelow Middle a good school?
Bigelow Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Massachusetts 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 Newton?
Besides Bigelow Middle, Newton also operates Newton North High (2,096 students), Newton South High (1,898 students), and F a Day Middle (860 students). See the Newton 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.