- Enrollment
- 4,020
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aurora, IL
Henry W Cowherd Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Henry W Cowherd Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170468000040
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Henry W Cowherd Middle School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #2 of 11
- middle schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 807
- students enrolled
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks #2 of 11 middle schools in Aurora, IL.
School address
District: Aurora East Usd 131 · Illinois
NCES ID 170468000040 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 170468000040 · Aurora, IL Middle · MID · TRAD
807 enr · 12.6:1 · RII 63
Nearest enrollment peer: East High School (4,020 students)
Resource Investment Index #2 of 11 middle schools in Aurora. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Henry W Cowherd Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- East High Scho
East High School
4,020 students
- This school 807
Henry W Cowherd Middle School
807 students
- C F Simmons Mi 792
C F Simmons Middle School
792 students
- K D Waldo Midd 729
K D Waldo Middle School
729 students
- Olney C Allen 712
Olney C Allen Elem School
712 students
- C M Bardwell E 679
C M Bardwell Elem School
679 students
What this shows Henry W Cowherd Middle School reports 807 students on the CCD universe file.
How Henry W Cowherd Middle School compares
Henry W Cowherd Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 807 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
807
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 37% in Illinois - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,690
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 83.1%
African American 12.9%
White 2.0%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Henry W Cowherd Middle School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora East Usd 131, which includes Henry W Cowherd Middle School.
$16,690
Per student
-8%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 60.2%
Federal 19.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Henry W Cowherd Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| C F Simmons Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| K D Waldo Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olney C Allen Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| C M Bardwell Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Henry W Cowherd Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools in Aurora
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Francis Granger Middle School
Standard public school
1,011 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Fischer Middle School
Standard public school
861 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
C F Simmons Middle School
Standard public school
792 students 13:1 students per teacher
K D Waldo Middle School
Standard public school
729 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Still Middle School
Standard public school
709 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle School
Standard public school
690 students 15:1 students per teacher
Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~807 students)
Frequently asked questions about Henry W Cowherd Middle School
How many students attend Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has 807 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aurora, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is 12.6:1, which is 10% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment, in Aurora, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Henry W Cowherd Middle School rank among middle schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks #2 of 11 middle schools in Aurora, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Aurora on the city page.
What other schools are in Aurora East Usd 131?
Besides Henry W Cowherd Middle School, Aurora East Usd 131 also operates East High School (4,020 students), C F Simmons Middle School (792 students), and K D Waldo Middle School (729 students). See the Aurora East Usd 131 district page for the complete list.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.