Enrollment
1,472
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Milwaukee, WI
Hamilton High
Federal NCES profile for Hamilton High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550960001180
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hamilton High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #11 of 34
- high schools in Milwaukee · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 81.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hamilton High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hamilton High ranks #11 of 34 high schools in Milwaukee, WI.
School address
District: Milwaukee School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550960001180 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
101.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.9%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+113% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hamilton High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hamilton High
Hamilton High is a high-poverty, large high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enrolling 1,472 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 81.9% of students qualify for free meals, 113% above the Wisconsin average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,472 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 368 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The surrounding Milwaukee School District spends $17,847 per pupil, 20% above the Wisconsin average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 340 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,472 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Milwaukee's high schools, it stands alongside Reagan College Preparatory High (1,372 students): Hamilton High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 22.5:1).
Milwaukee School District also operates Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 (1,974 students) and Reagan College Preparatory High (1,372 students) alongside Hamilton 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 Hamilton High compares
Hamilton High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.9% | ▲ 113% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,472 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,472
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 113% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 67% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$17,847
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 368 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 340 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.7%
African American 29.6%
Asian 11.6%
White 8.8%
Two or More 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Hamilton High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Milwaukee School District, which includes Hamilton High.
$17,847
Per student
+20%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.3%
State 57.7%
Federal 15.0%
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 Hamilton High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reagan College Preparatory High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| King International | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Obama School of Career and Technical Education | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hamilton High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 30.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,240
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Milwaukee
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Reagan College Preparatory High
Standard public school
1,372 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
King International
Standard public school
1,308 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Riverside High
Standard public school
1,240 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Bradley Technology High
Standard public school
1,048 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Pulaski High
Standard public school
1,041 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Bay View High
Standard public school
1,021 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,472 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hamilton High's federal record.
- Compare Hamilton High against another school. Compare schools
- Milwaukee 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 Hamilton High
How many students attend Hamilton High?
Hamilton High has 1,472 students enrolled. It is a high school in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hamilton High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hamilton High is 14.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hamilton High?
81.9% of students at Hamilton High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hamilton High?
The largest demographic group at Hamilton High is Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment, in Milwaukee, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hamilton High?
Hamilton High has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hamilton High rank among high schools in Milwaukee?
By Resource Investment Index, Hamilton High ranks #11 of 34 high schools in Milwaukee, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Milwaukee on the city page.
Is Hamilton High a good school?
Hamilton High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. 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 Milwaukee School District?
Besides Hamilton High, Milwaukee School District also operates Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 (1,974 students), Reagan College Preparatory High (1,372 students), and King International (1,308 students). See the Milwaukee 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.