Enrollment
1,325
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ferndale, WA
Ferndale High School
Federal NCES profile for Ferndale High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530285000460
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferndale High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Ferndale · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Washington
- 37.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferndale High School has class sizes larger than 71% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferndale High School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Ferndale, WA.
School address
District: Ferndale School District · Washington
NCES ID 530285000460 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
70.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferndale High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferndale High School
Ferndale High School is a large high school in Ferndale, Washington, enrolling 1,325 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.3% lands close to the Washington typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,325 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 117 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #56.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Ferndale School District also operates Vista Middle School (550 students) and Skyline Elementary School (496 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.3% | ▼ 17% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,325 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,325
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 71% in Washington - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$17,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 79 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 56.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.0%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.0%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Ferndale High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferndale School District, which includes Ferndale High School.
$17,981
Per student
-8%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 63.5%
Federal 14.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Skyline Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eagleridge Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cascadia Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower 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
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,325 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferndale High School's federal record.
- Compare Ferndale High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ferndale 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 Ferndale High School
How many students attend Ferndale High School?
Ferndale High School has 1,325 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ferndale, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferndale High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferndale High School is 18.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ferndale High School?
37.3% of students at Ferndale High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferndale High School?
The largest demographic group at Ferndale High School is White at 56.1% of enrollment, in Ferndale, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferndale High School?
Ferndale High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 8 public schools in Ferndale, WA. 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 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 School District?
Besides Ferndale High School, Ferndale School District also operates Vista Middle School (550 students), Skyline Elementary School (496 students), and Eagleridge Elementary (457 students). See the Ferndale 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.