Enrollment
2,580
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bowie, MD
Bowie High
Federal NCES profile for Bowie High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240051000990
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bowie High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #12 of 13
- public schools in Bowie · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bowie High has class sizes larger than 96% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bowie High ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Bowie, MD.
School address
District: Prince George's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240051000990 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
131.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bowie High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bowie High
Bowie High is a large high school in Bowie, Maryland, enrolling 2,580 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.7:1 is larger than about 96% of Maryland schools and 36% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,580 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 37 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #31, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 323 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students) and Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students) alongside Bowie 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 Bowie High compares
Bowie High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.7:1 | ▲ 36% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 14% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,580 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,580
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 96% in Maryland - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.4%
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
$19,234
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 323 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 146 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 20.7%
White 7.1%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Bowie High is about as mixed as the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince George's County Public Schools, which includes Bowie High.
$19,234
Per student
-6%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 51.1%
Federal 12.1%
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 Bowie High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Charles Herbert Flowers High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkdale High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eleanor Roosevelt High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Duval High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bowie High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,544
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,522
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,580 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bowie High's federal record.
- Compare Bowie High against another school. Compare schools
- Prince George's County 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 Bowie High
How many students attend Bowie High?
Bowie High has 2,580 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bowie, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bowie High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bowie High is 19.7:1, which is 36% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bowie High?
42.2% of students at Bowie High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bowie High?
The largest demographic group at Bowie High is African American at 66.4% of enrollment, in Bowie, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bowie High?
Bowie High has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Bowie High rank among public schools in Bowie?
By Resource Investment Index, Bowie High ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Bowie, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bowie on the city page.
Is Bowie High a good school?
Bowie High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. 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 Prince George's County Public Schools?
Besides Bowie High, Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students), Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students), and Parkdale High (2,588 students). See the Prince George's County 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.