Enrollment
1,541
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Madison, WI
Lafollette High
Federal NCES profile for Lafollette High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550852000941
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lafollette High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #5 of 7
- high schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 46.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lafollette High has class sizes larger than 83% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lafollette High ranks #5 of 7 high schools in Madison, WI.
School address
District: Madison Metropolitan School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550852000941 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lafollette High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lafollette High
Lafollette High is a large high school in Madison, Wisconsin, enrolling 1,541 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,541 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 37 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #19.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (34%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Madison's high schools, it stands alongside West High (2,222 students): Lafollette High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 17.4:1).
Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students) and Vel Phillips Memorial High (2,004 students) alongside Lafollette 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 Lafollette High compares
Lafollette 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.6% | ▲ 21% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,541 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,541
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$17,181
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 124 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 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 34.4%
White 27.7%
African American 22.5%
Two or More 9.4%
Asian 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 34.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.2, Lafollette High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Metropolitan School District, which includes Lafollette High.
$17,181
Per student
+15%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.6%
State 18.4%
Federal 9.0%
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 Lafollette High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vel Phillips Memorial High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lafollette High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,222
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,643
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools in Madison
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
West High
Standard public school
2,222 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Vel Phillips Memorial High
Standard public school
2,004 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
East High
Standard public school
1,643 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Innovative High
Alternative education program
138 students 8.1:1 students per teacher
Capital High
Alternative education program
129 students 7.2:1 students per teacher
Shabazz-City High
Alternative education program
106 students 8.2:1 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 (~1,541 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lafollette High's federal record.
- Compare Lafollette High against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Metropolitan 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 Lafollette High
How many students attend Lafollette High?
Lafollette High has 1,541 students enrolled. It is a high school in Madison, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lafollette High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lafollette High is 16.4:1, which is 14% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lafollette High?
46.6% of students at Lafollette High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lafollette High?
The largest demographic group at Lafollette High is Hispanic or Latino at 34.4% of enrollment, in Madison, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lafollette High?
Lafollette High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Lafollette High rank among high schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Lafollette High ranks #5 of 7 high schools in Madison, 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 Madison on the city page.
Is Lafollette High a good school?
Lafollette High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Wisconsin schools. 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 Madison Metropolitan School District?
Besides Lafollette High, Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students), Vel Phillips Memorial High (2,004 students), and East High (1,643 students). See the Madison Metropolitan 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.