Enrollment
1,358
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Herndon, VA
Carson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Carson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510126001756
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carson Middle earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Virginia schools.
- #2 of 14
- public schools in Herndon · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 13.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carson Middle has class sizes larger than 84% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Middle ranks #2 of 14 public schools in Herndon, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126001756 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carson Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carson Middle
Carson Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Herndon, Virginia, enrolling 1,358 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.4% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,358 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 123 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is led by Asian (43%) and White (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 226 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Herndon's middle schools, it stands alongside Herndon Middle (895 students): Carson Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.2:1 vs 11:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Carson 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 Carson Middle compares
Carson Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.4% | ▼ 77% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,358 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,358
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 84% in Virginia - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 226 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
63
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Asian 43.0%
White 27.7%
African American 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 43.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Carson Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Carson Middle.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
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 Carson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Herndon
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 Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,358 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Carson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax 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 Carson Middle
How many students attend Carson Middle?
Carson Middle has 1,358 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Herndon, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Carson Middle is 16.2:1, which is 17% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carson Middle?
13.4% of students at Carson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Carson Middle is Asian at 43.0% of enrollment, in Herndon, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carson Middle?
Carson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carson Middle rank among public schools in Herndon?
By Resource Investment Index, Carson Middle ranks #2 of 14 public schools in Herndon, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Herndon on the city page.
Is Carson Middle a good school?
Carson Middle earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Virginia 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 Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Carson Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax 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.