Enrollment
1,631
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Virginia Beach, VA
Frank W. Cox High
Federal NCES profile for Frank W. Cox High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510384002049
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frank W. Cox High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #8 of 12
- high schools in Virginia Beach · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Frank W. Cox High has class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frank W. Cox High ranks #8 of 12 high schools in Virginia Beach, VA.
School address
District: Virginia Beach City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510384002049 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
103.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frank W. Cox High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frank W. Cox High
Frank W. Cox High is a large high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, enrolling 1,631 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,631 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 135 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #97, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Virginia Beach's high schools, it stands alongside Landstown High (2,152 students): Frank W. Cox High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 16.6:1).
Virginia Beach City Public Schools also operates Landstown High (2,152 students) and Kempsville High (2,046 students) alongside Frank W. Cox High.
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 Frank W. Cox High compares
Frank W. Cox High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 59% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,631 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,631
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Virginia - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.5%
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
$14,118
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
132
in-school suspensions + 96 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.0 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 64.6%
African American 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Frank W. Cox High is about as mixed as the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, which includes Frank W. Cox High.
$14,118
Per student
-4%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 39.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Frank W. Cox High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landstown High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kempsville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tallwood High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Floyd Kellam High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frank W. Cox High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,152
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,046
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,984
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,842
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools in Virginia Beach
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Landstown High
Standard public school
2,152 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Kempsville High
Standard public school
2,046 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Bayside High
Standard public school
1,984 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Tallwood High
Standard public school
1,890 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Floyd Kellam High
Standard public school
1,842 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Ocean Lakes High
Standard public school
1,834 students 15:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,631 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frank W. Cox High's federal record.
- Compare Frank W. Cox High against another school. Compare schools
- Virginia Beach City 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 Frank W. Cox High
How many students attend Frank W. Cox High?
Frank W. Cox High has 1,631 students enrolled. It is a high school in Virginia Beach, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frank W. Cox High?
The student-teacher ratio at Frank W. Cox High is 15.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Frank W. Cox High?
23.6% of students at Frank W. Cox High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frank W. Cox High?
The largest demographic group at Frank W. Cox High is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Virginia Beach, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frank W. Cox High?
Frank W. Cox High has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Frank W. Cox High rank among high schools in Virginia Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Frank W. Cox High ranks #8 of 12 high schools in Virginia Beach, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Virginia Beach on the city page.
Is Frank W. Cox High a good school?
Frank W. Cox High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Virginia Beach City Public Schools?
Besides Frank W. Cox High, Virginia Beach City Public Schools also operates Landstown High (2,152 students), Kempsville High (2,046 students), and Bayside High (1,984 students). See the Virginia Beach City 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.