Enrollment
1,364
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 340783002774
James J Ferris High School — Jersey City, NJ
Federal NCES profile for James J Ferris High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 45/100.
👥 Class size 41
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 55
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Jersey City Public Schools · New Jersey
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 11.9:1 New Jersey avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James J Ferris High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
James J Ferris High School reports 1,364 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 91.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% above the New Jersey state mean of 11.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 7% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 91% above the New Jersey average and 9% above the national baseline. The school offers 9 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 227 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Jersey City Public Schools spends $32,533 per pupil district-wide, above the New Jersey average of $29,189 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.5% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 8.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James J Ferris High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New Jersey state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 24% | 11.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▲ 91% | 29.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,364 | top 95% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 91% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 91% in New Jersey — lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$32,533
per pupil, district-wide
— above New Jersey avg of $29,189
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 227 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 132 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,364 Top 95% in New Jersey — larger than 5% of 2,509 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 91.0
Students per teacher 14.8:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.6% +91% vs state
NCES ID 340783002774
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 55.2%
African American 21.2%
Asian 11.3%
White 11.1%
Two or More 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 9
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 227:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 18.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 132
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jersey City Public Schools, which includes James J Ferris High School.
$32,533
Per student
+11%
vs New Jersey
Avg $29,189
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 8.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,786
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,082
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Enrollment
- 906
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
Similar high schools in Jersey City
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
William L Dickinson High School
Standard public school
1,786 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
County Prep High School
Vocational / career-technical school
892 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
767 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Henry Snyder High School
Standard public school
729 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Dr Ronald Mcnair High School
Standard public school
716 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
University Academy Charter High School
Standard public school
429 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about James J Ferris High School
How many students attend James J Ferris High School?
James J Ferris High School has 1,364 students enrolled. It is a high school in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James J Ferris High School?
The student-teacher ratio at James J Ferris High School is 14.8:1, which is 24% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.9:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James J Ferris High School?
56.6% of students at James J Ferris High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James J Ferris High School?
The largest demographic group at James J Ferris High School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in JERSEY CITY, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James J Ferris High School?
James J Ferris High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.