Enrollment
1,792
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bethlehem, PA
Freedom Hs
Federal NCES profile for Freedom Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 420357004957
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Freedom Hs earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Bethlehem · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Freedom Hs has class sizes larger than 86% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Freedom Hs ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bethlehem, PA.
School address
District: Bethlehem Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420357004957 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
111.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Freedom Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Freedom Hs
Freedom Hs is a large high school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,792 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.1:1 is larger than about 86% of Pennsylvania schools and 18% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,792 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 91 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #45.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bethlehem's high schools, it stands alongside Liberty Hs (2,541 students): Freedom Hs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.1:1 vs 15.9:1).
Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students) and East Hills Ms (966 students) alongside Freedom Hs.
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 Freedom Hs compares
Freedom Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 40% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,792 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,792
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 86% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$17,060
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 42.6%
Hispanic or Latino 40.2%
African American 11.2%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Freedom Hs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethlehem Area Sd, which includes Freedom Hs.
$17,060
Per student
-5%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.1%
State 24.8%
Federal 11.2%
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 Freedom Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hs | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Hills Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Nitschmann Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Ms | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spring Garden El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Freedom Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,541
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Bethlehem
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,792 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Freedom Hs's federal record.
- Compare Freedom Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Bethlehem Area Sd'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 Freedom Hs
How many students attend Freedom Hs?
Freedom Hs has 1,792 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Freedom Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Freedom Hs is 16.1:1, which is 18% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Freedom Hs?
34.6% of students at Freedom Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Freedom Hs?
The largest demographic group at Freedom Hs is White at 42.6% of enrollment, in Bethlehem, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Freedom Hs?
Freedom Hs 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 Freedom Hs rank among high schools in Bethlehem?
By Resource Investment Index, Freedom Hs ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bethlehem, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bethlehem on the city page.
Is Freedom Hs a good school?
Freedom Hs earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Bethlehem Area Sd?
Besides Freedom Hs, Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students), East Hills Ms (966 students), and Nitschmann Ms (731 students). See the Bethlehem Area Sd 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.