Enrollment
2,170
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Falls Church, VA
Falls Church High
Federal NCES profile for Falls Church High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510126000468
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Falls Church High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Falls Church · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 52.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Falls Church High has class sizes larger than 89% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Falls Church High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Falls Church, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126000468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
129.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.8%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Falls Church High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Falls Church High
Falls Church High is a higher-need, large high school in Falls Church, Virginia, enrolling 2,170 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.8:1 is larger than about 89% of Virginia schools and 21% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.8% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,170 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 35 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #18.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and White (15%) (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 197 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Falls Church's high schools, it stands alongside Justice High (2,357 students): Falls Church High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 16.1:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Falls Church 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 Falls Church High compares
Falls Church High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.8% | ▼ 8% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,170 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,170
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 89% in Virginia - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$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
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 197 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 62.2%
White 15.3%
Asian 13.0%
African American 5.3%
Two or More 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Falls Church High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Falls Church High.
$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 Falls Church High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Falls Church High'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 high schools in Falls Church
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~2,170 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Falls Church High's federal record.
- Compare Falls Church High 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 Falls Church High
How many students attend Falls Church High?
Falls Church High has 2,170 students enrolled. It is a high school in Falls Church, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Falls Church High?
The student-teacher ratio at Falls Church High is 16.8:1, which is 21% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Falls Church High?
52.8% of students at Falls Church High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Falls Church High?
The largest demographic group at Falls Church High is Hispanic or Latino at 62.2% of enrollment, in Falls Church, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Falls Church High?
Falls Church High has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Falls Church High rank among high schools in Falls Church?
By Resource Investment Index, Falls Church High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Falls Church, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Falls Church on the city page.
Is Falls Church High a good school?
Falls Church High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Falls Church High, 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.