Enrollment
739
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ferndale, MI
Ferndale High School
Federal NCES profile for Ferndale High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261428005072
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferndale High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Ferndale · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 53.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferndale High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale High School ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Ferndale, MI.
School address
District: Ferndale Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 261428005072 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferndale High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferndale High School
Ferndale High School is a higher-need, large high school in Ferndale, Michigan, enrolling 739 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.2% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 739 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 343 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #202.
Its student body is led by African American (62%) and White (26%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Ferndale's high schools, it stands alongside Tri County Educational Center (348 students): Ferndale High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 31.6:1).
Ferndale Public Schools also operates Ferndale Middle School (528 students) and Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus (517 students) alongside Ferndale High School.
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 Ferndale High School compares
Ferndale High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▼ 2% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 739 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
739
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Michigan - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.2%
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
$13,463
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
African American 62.2%
White 26.4%
Two or More 7.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 62.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Ferndale High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferndale Public Schools, which includes Ferndale High School.
$13,463
Per student
0%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 56.0%
Federal 11.0%
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 Ferndale High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndale Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ferndale Upper Elementary Campus | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| University High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tri County Educational Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferndale High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 31.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Ferndale
1 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 Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~739 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferndale High School's federal record.
- Compare Ferndale High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ferndale 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 Ferndale High School
How many students attend Ferndale High School?
Ferndale High School has 739 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ferndale, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferndale High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferndale High School is 18:1, which is 3% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ferndale High School?
53.2% of students at Ferndale High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferndale High School?
The largest demographic group at Ferndale High School is African American at 62.2% of enrollment, in Ferndale, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferndale High School?
Ferndale High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Ferndale High School rank among public schools in Ferndale?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale High School ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Ferndale, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ferndale on the city page.
Is Ferndale High School a good school?
Ferndale High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Ferndale Public Schools?
Besides Ferndale High School, Ferndale Public Schools also operates Ferndale Middle School (528 students), Ferndale Lower Elementary Campus (517 students), and Ferndale Upper Elementary Campus (501 students). See the Ferndale 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.