Enrollment
129
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Madison, WI
Capital High
Federal NCES profile for Capital High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550852003095
👥 S:T ratio 71
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Capital High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 7
- high schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.2:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 73.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Capital High has class sizes smaller than 98% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Madison, WI.
School address
District: Madison Metropolitan School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550852003095 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Capital High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Capital High
Capital High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Madison, Wisconsin, enrolling 129 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.2:1, Capital High is leaner than roughly 98% of Wisconsin schools and 50% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 73.4% of students qualify for free meals, 91% above the Wisconsin average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 129 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 32 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 129 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Madison's high schools, it stands alongside West High (2,222 students): Capital High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.2:1 vs 17.4:1).
Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students) and Vel Phillips Memorial High (2,004 students) alongside Capital 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 Capital High compares
Capital High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.2:1 | ▼ 50% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.4% | ▲ 91% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 129 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.2:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
129
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
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
7.2:1
students per teacher
- 50% below state mean
Top 2% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$17,181
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 129 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 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 44.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.9%
Two or More 15.5%
White 14.0%
Asian 5.4%
Largest group: African American at 44.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.4, Capital High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Metropolitan School District, which includes Capital High.
$17,181
Per student
+15%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.6%
State 18.4%
Federal 9.0%
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 Capital High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vel Phillips Memorial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafollette High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Capital High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,222
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,643
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,541
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools in Madison
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
West High
Standard public school
2,222 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Vel Phillips Memorial High
Standard public school
2,004 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
East High
Standard public school
1,643 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Lafollette High
Standard public school
1,541 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Innovative High
Alternative education program
138 students 8.1:1 students per teacher
Shabazz-City High
Alternative education program
106 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~129 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Capital High's federal record.
- Compare Capital High against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Metropolitan School District'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 Capital High
How many students attend Capital High?
Capital High has 129 students enrolled. It is a high school in Madison, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Capital High?
The student-teacher ratio at Capital High is 7.2:1, which is 50% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 54% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Capital High?
73.4% of students at Capital High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Capital High?
The largest demographic group at Capital High is African American at 44.2% of enrollment, in Madison, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Capital High?
Capital High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Capital High rank among high schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Madison, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Capital High a good school?
Capital High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin 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 Madison Metropolitan School District?
Besides Capital High, Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students), Vel Phillips Memorial High (2,004 students), and East High (1,643 students). See the Madison Metropolitan School District 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.