Enrollment
913
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clifton, VA
Liberty Middle
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510126002271
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Middle earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Clifton · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 28.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clifton, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126002271 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.9%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Middle
Scale and staffing sit near the state mainstream
Liberty Middle is neither an extreme outlier in enrollment nor in student-teacher ratio among Virginia schools. Its profile therefore turns on the other dimensions rather than on scale alone: economic need, counselor coverage, program access, attendance, and district finance. This middle placement is useful because it prevents the campus from being mislabeled as unusually large, small, crowded, or teacher-dense when the federal comparison does not support that claim.
Lower need and stronger resource signals align
Liberty Middle reports lower free-meal eligibility than most Virginia schools and an above-typical Resource Investment Index. The two measures move together, a pattern consistent with the resource advantages that often accompany a lower-need intake. That association should not be mistaken for a causal verdict about the school; it is a transparent description of how this campus sits on two independent federal-data dimensions.
No single support indicator dominates
Liberty Middle's available federal support indicators do not reveal an extreme in advanced-course access, specialist staffing, chronic absence, or IDEA enrollment. The most responsible reading is therefore component by component rather than a sweeping verdict: current counseling availability, health support, program schedules, and attendance policy still warrant direct confirmation. Missing or middle-range federal fields are not evidence that services are either strong or weak.
Liberty Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Clifton, Virginia, enrolling 913 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Virginia median, within a few percentage points of the 13.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 913 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 301 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is led by White (32%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 183 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Liberty Middle.
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 Liberty Middle compares
Liberty Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.9% | ▼ 50% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 913 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
913
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 44% in Virginia - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 183 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 32.0%
Hispanic or Latino 29.7%
Asian 25.2%
African American 7.1%
Two or More 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 32.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Liberty Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Liberty Middle.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
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 Liberty Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~913 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Middle's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools'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 Liberty Middle
How many students attend Liberty Middle?
Liberty Middle has 913 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clifton, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle is 13.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Middle?
28.9% of students at Liberty Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Middle?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Middle is White at 32.0% of enrollment, in Clifton, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Middle?
Liberty Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Liberty Middle rank among public schools in Clifton?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Clifton, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Clifton on the city page.
What other schools are in Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Liberty Middle, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax County Public Schools 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.