Enrollment
1,666
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Iowa City, IA
Iowa City High School
Federal NCES profile for Iowa City High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191470000892
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Iowa City High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Iowa City · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 34.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Iowa City High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Iowa City High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Iowa City, IA.
School address
District: Iowa City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191470000892 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
105.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Iowa City High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Iowa City High School
Iowa City High School is a large high school in Iowa City, Iowa, enrolling 1,666 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.8% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,666 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 40 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #35, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Iowa City's high schools, it stands alongside West Senior High School (1,514 students): Iowa City High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 15.9:1).
Iowa City Comm School District also operates West Senior High School (1,514 students) and Liberty High School (1,286 students) alongside Iowa City 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 Iowa City High School compares
Iowa City High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.8% | ▼ 4% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,666 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,666
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 76% in Iowa - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$13,920
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 417 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 66 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 49.9%
African American 20.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.2, Iowa City High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Iowa City Comm School District, which includes Iowa City High School.
$13,920
Per student
+8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.7%
State 41.5%
Federal 12.8%
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 Iowa City High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Senior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Central Junior High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Iowa City High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,514
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,286
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 925
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Iowa City
2 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 Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,666 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Iowa City High School's federal record.
- Compare Iowa City High School against another school. Compare schools
- Iowa City Comm 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 Iowa City High School
How many students attend Iowa City High School?
Iowa City High School has 1,666 students enrolled. It is a high school in Iowa City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Iowa City High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Iowa City High School is 15.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Iowa City High School?
34.8% of students at Iowa City High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Iowa City High School?
The largest demographic group at Iowa City High School is White at 49.9% of enrollment, in Iowa City, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Iowa City High School?
Iowa City High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Iowa City High School rank among high schools in Iowa City?
By Resource Investment Index, Iowa City High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Iowa City, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Iowa City on the city page.
Is Iowa City High School a good school?
Iowa City High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Iowa City Comm School District?
Besides Iowa City High School, Iowa City Comm School District also operates West Senior High School (1,514 students), Liberty High School (1,286 students), and Southeast Junior High School (1,269 students). See the Iowa City Comm 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.