Enrollment
784
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbanks, AK
Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
Federal NCES profile for Fairbanks B.E.S.T., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 020060000587
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska.
- #1 of 17
- schools in Fairbanks · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 784
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Fairbanks B.E.S.T. ranks #1 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK.
School address
District: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020060000587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
What stands out at Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is a large combined-grade school in Fairbanks, Alaska, enrolling 784 students.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 96% of state schools at 784 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 495 Alaska schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spends $18,816 per pupil, 43% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fairbanks's public schools, it stands alongside Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea) (7,876 students): Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students) and West Valley High School (782 students) alongside Fairbanks B.E.S.T..
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 Fairbanks B.E.S.T. compares
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 784 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
784
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Funding equity
$18,816
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 62.9%
Two or More 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.0%
Asian 4.1%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, which includes Fairbanks B.E.S.T..
$18,816
Per student
-43%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.7%
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 Fairbanks B.E.S.T. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| West Valley High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| North Pole High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| North Pole Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Tanana Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Fairbanks B.E.S.T.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Fairbanks
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Interior Distance Education of Alaska (Idea)
Standard public school
7,876 students
Raven School
Standard public school
3,687 students
Barnette Magnet School
Standard public school
417 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Weller Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 18:1 students per teacher
Pearl Creek Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Ladd Elementary
Standard public school
383 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alaska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairbanks B.E.S.T.'s federal record.
- Compare Fairbanks B.E.S.T. against another school. Compare schools
- Fairbanks North Star Borough 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 Fairbanks B.E.S.T.
How many students attend Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. has 784 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbanks, AK.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
The largest demographic group at Fairbanks B.E.S.T. is White at 62.9% of enrollment, in Fairbanks, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairbanks B.E.S.T.?
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Fairbanks B.E.S.T. rank among schools in Fairbanks?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairbanks B.E.S.T. ranks #1 of 17 schools in Fairbanks, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fairbanks on the city page.
Is Fairbanks B.E.S.T. a good school?
Fairbanks B.E.S.T. earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska. 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 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District?
Besides Fairbanks B.E.S.T., Fairbanks North Star Borough School District also operates Lathrop High School (788 students), West Valley High School (782 students), and North Pole High School (695 students). See the Fairbanks North Star Borough 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.