Enrollment
885
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tacoma, WA
Fife High School
Federal NCES profile for Fife High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530288000465
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fife High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington schools.
- #3 of 16
- high schools in Tacoma · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Washington
- 35.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Fife High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fife High School ranks #3 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, WA.
School address
District: Fife School District · Washington
NCES ID 530288000465 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fife High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fife High School
Fife High School is a large high school in Tacoma, Washington, enrolling 885 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 88% of Washington schools and 26% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 91% of state schools at 885 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tacoma's high schools, it stands alongside Stadium High School (1,700 students): Fife High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.1:1 vs 25.4:1).
Fife School District also operates Fife Elementary School (866 students) and Columbia Junior High School (619 students) alongside Fife 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 Fife High School compares
Fife 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 26% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.5% | ▼ 21% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 885 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
885
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 88% in Washington - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,780
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.3 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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
White 39.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
Two or More 11.1%
Asian 10.5%
African American 7.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 39.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.1, Fife High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fife School District, which includes Fife High School.
$16,780
Per student
-14%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 59.8%
Federal 8.0%
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 Fife High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fife Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Surprise Lake Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hedden Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fife High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 866
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Tacoma
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Stadium High School
Standard public school
1,700 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,556 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Mount Tahoma High School
Standard public school
1,410 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Dr. Dolores Silas High School
Standard public school
1,160 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Washington High School
Standard public school
989 students 16:1 students per teacher
Tacoma School of the Arts
Standard public school
658 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~885 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fife High School's federal record.
- Compare Fife High School against another school. Compare schools
- Fife 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 Fife High School
How many students attend Fife High School?
Fife High School has 885 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tacoma, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fife High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fife High School is 22.1:1, which is 26% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fife High School?
35.5% of students at Fife High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fife High School?
The largest demographic group at Fife High School is White at 39.4% of enrollment, in Tacoma, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fife High School?
Fife High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Fife High School rank among high schools in Tacoma?
By Resource Investment Index, Fife High School ranks #3 of 16 high schools in Tacoma, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Tacoma on the city page.
Is Fife High School a good school?
Fife High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Washington 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 Fife School District?
Besides Fife High School, Fife School District also operates Fife Elementary School (866 students), Columbia Junior High School (619 students), and Surprise Lake Middle School (613 students). See the Fife 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.