Enrollment
1,507
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Seattle, WA
Garfield High School
Federal NCES profile for Garfield High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530771001171
👥 S:T ratio 11
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garfield High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #13 of 14
- high schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.2:1
- large classes for Washington
- 34.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Garfield High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield High School ranks #13 of 14 high schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771001171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.2%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garfield High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garfield High School
Garfield High School is a large high school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 1,507 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.2:1 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 34.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,507 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #60.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 377 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Seattle's high schools, it stands alongside Lincoln High School (1,770 students): Garfield High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.2:1 vs 24.6:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Garfield 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 Garfield High School compares
Garfield 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 | 22.2:1 | ▲ 26% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.2% | ▼ 24% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,507 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.2:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,507
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
22.2:1
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
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 377 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 33.8%
African American 30.0%
Two or More 12.4%
Asian 12.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 33.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.5, Garfield High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Garfield High School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Garfield High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ingraham High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garfield High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Seattle
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,770 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Evergreen High School
Standard public school
1,080 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Summit Public School: Sierra
Standard public school
214 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
New Start
Alternative education program
142 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Interagency Open Doors
Alternative education program
132 students
Puget Sound Skills Center
Vocational / career-technical school
3 students
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 (~1,507 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garfield High School's federal record.
- Compare Garfield High School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Garfield High School
How many students attend Garfield High School?
Garfield High School has 1,507 students enrolled. It is a high school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garfield High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Garfield High School is 22.2:1, 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 Garfield High School?
34.2% of students at Garfield High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garfield High School?
The largest demographic group at Garfield High School is White at 33.8% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garfield High School?
Garfield High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Garfield High School rank among high schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield High School ranks #13 of 14 high schools in Seattle, 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 Seattle on the city page.
Is Garfield High School a good school?
Garfield High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Garfield High School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.