Enrollment
1,072
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Arlington, VA
Gunston Middle
Federal NCES profile for Gunston Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510027000752
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gunston Middle earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #2 of 6
- middle schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Gunston Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gunston Middle ranks #2 of 6 middle schools in Arlington, VA.
School address
District: Arlington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510027000752 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gunston Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gunston Middle
Gunston Middle is a large middle school in Arlington, Virginia, enrolling 1,072 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,072 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 227 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and White (32%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 179 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Arlington County Public Schools spends $21,782 per pupil, 49% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Arlington's middle schools, it stands alongside Jefferson Middle (1,120 students): Gunston Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 13.7:1).
Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students) and Wakefield High (2,646 students) alongside Gunston Middle.
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 Gunston Middle compares
Gunston Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 43% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,072 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,072
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in Virginia - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,782
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 179 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
44
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 37.8%
White 32.1%
African American 15.2%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Gunston Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington County Public Schools, which includes Gunston Middle.
$21,782
Per student
+49%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 12.4%
Federal 8.2%
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 Gunston Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Liberty High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wakefield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yorktown High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenmore Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gunston Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,646
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,593
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar middle schools in Arlington
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Jefferson Middle
Standard public school
1,120 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Kenmore Middle
Standard public school
1,053 students 14:1 students per teacher
Swanson Middle
Standard public school
993 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Dorothy Hamm Middle
Standard public school
989 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Williamsburg Middle
Standard public school
856 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,072 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gunston Middle's federal record.
- Compare Gunston Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington County 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 Gunston Middle
How many students attend Gunston Middle?
Gunston Middle has 1,072 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Arlington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gunston Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Gunston Middle is 12.8:1, which is 8% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gunston Middle?
32.7% of students at Gunston Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gunston Middle?
The largest demographic group at Gunston Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 37.8% of enrollment, in Arlington, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gunston Middle?
Gunston Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gunston Middle rank among middle schools in Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Gunston Middle ranks #2 of 6 middle schools in Arlington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Gunston Middle a good school?
Gunston Middle earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. 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 Arlington County Public Schools?
Besides Gunston Middle, Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students), Wakefield High (2,646 students), and Yorktown High (2,593 students). See the Arlington County 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.