Enrollment
1,831
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Philadelphia, PA
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs
Federal NCES profile for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420009300687Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #83 of 106
- schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 99.9%
- free-lunch eligible
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs has class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs ranks #83 of 106 schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420009300687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,831 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 97% of Pennsylvania schools and 39% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,831 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 50 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #41, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Philadelphia's public schools, it stands alongside Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs (2,572 students): First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 15.5:1).
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is a single-school charter district, so First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 1,831 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in Pennsylvania, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone charter.
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 First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs compares
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 39% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.9% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,831 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
1,831
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 97% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$15,587
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
African American 45.1%
Hispanic or Latino 31.3%
Two or More 16.9%
White 5.7%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 45.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs, which includes First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs.
$15,587
Per student
-13%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.0%
State 1.2%
Federal 15.9%
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.
Similar other schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs
Standard public school
2,572 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Ii
Standard public school
1,875 students 16:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Academy Cs
Standard public school
1,637 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Frank Anne Sch
Standard public school
1,622 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
New Foundations Cs
Standard public school
1,529 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Mariana Bracetti Academy Cs
Standard public school
1,512 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,831 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs's federal record.
- Compare First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs against another school. Compare schools
- First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs'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 First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs
How many students attend First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs has 1,831 students enrolled. It is a public school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is 18.9:1, which is 39% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
99.9% of students at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
The largest demographic group at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is African American at 45.1% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs rank among schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs ranks #83 of 106 schools in Philadelphia, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Philadelphia on the city page.
Is First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs a good school?
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
None; First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is a single-school charter district, and First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is its only campus.
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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.