Enrollment
1,020
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Dodge, IA
Fort Dodge High School
Federal NCES profile for Fort Dodge High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191182000724
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Dodge High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #4 of 7
- public schools in Fort Dodge · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 48.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Dodge High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Dodge High School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Fort Dodge, IA.
School address
District: Fort Dodge Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191182000724 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Dodge High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Dodge High School
Fort Dodge High School is a large high school in Fort Dodge, Iowa, enrolling 1,020 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,020 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 50 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #24.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 258 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 317 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,020 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students) and Duncombe Elementary School (438 students) alongside Fort Dodge 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 Fort Dodge High School compares
Fort Dodge High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.5% | ▲ 33% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,020 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,020
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 78% in Iowa - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.8%
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
$12,309
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 258 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
157
in-school suspensions + 160 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 6.1%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Fort Dodge High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Dodge Comm School District, which includes Fort Dodge High School.
$12,309
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.4%
State 48.2%
Federal 20.4%
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 Fort Dodge High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Duncombe Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Butler Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooper Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Dodge High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 231
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,020 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Dodge High School's federal record.
- Compare Fort Dodge High School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Dodge Comm 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 Fort Dodge High School
How many students attend Fort Dodge High School?
Fort Dodge High School has 1,020 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Dodge, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Dodge High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Dodge High School is 16.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fort Dodge High School?
48.5% of students at Fort Dodge High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Dodge High School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Dodge High School is White at 66.6% of enrollment, in Fort Dodge, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Dodge High School?
Fort Dodge High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Fort Dodge High School rank among public schools in Fort Dodge?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Dodge High School ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Fort Dodge, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fort Dodge on the city page.
Is Fort Dodge High School a good school?
Fort Dodge High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Besides Fort Dodge High School, Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students), Duncombe Elementary School (438 students), and Early Childhood Center (376 students). See the Fort Dodge Comm 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.