Enrollment
759
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sunnyvale, CA
Marian a. Peterson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Marian a. Peterson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063543007867
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marian a. Peterson Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Sunnyvale · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.7:1
- students per teacher
- 21.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Marian a. Peterson Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marian a. Peterson Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Sunnyvale, CA.
School address
District: Santa Clara Unified · California
NCES ID 063543007867 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marian a. Peterson Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marian a. Peterson Middle
Marian a. Peterson Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Sunnyvale, California, enrolling 759 students.
At 21.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.3% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the California average.
Enrollment of 759 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,193 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #294.
Its student body is led by Asian (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Santa Clara Unified spends $24,038 per pupil, 46% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sunnyvale's middle schools, it stands alongside Cupertino Middle (1,067 students): Marian a. Peterson Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.7:1 vs 20.1:1).
Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students) and Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students) alongside Marian a. Peterson 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 Marian a. Peterson Middle compares
Marian a. Peterson Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.3% | ▼ 62% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 759 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
759
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 50% in California - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$24,038
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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
Asian 46.1%
Hispanic or Latino 30.2%
White 16.2%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 46.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Marian a. Peterson Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Clara Unified, which includes Marian a. Peterson Middle.
$24,038
Per student
+46%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 81.9%
State 13.2%
Federal 4.9%
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 Marian a. Peterson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Adrian Wilcox High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Juan Cabrillo Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buchser Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kathleen Macdonald High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marian a. Peterson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,614
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 48.8:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
Similar middle schools in Sunnyvale
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~759 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marian a. Peterson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Marian a. Peterson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Clara Unified'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 Marian a. Peterson Middle
How many students attend Marian a. Peterson Middle?
Marian a. Peterson Middle has 759 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sunnyvale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marian a. Peterson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Marian a. Peterson Middle is 21.7:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Marian a. Peterson Middle?
21.3% of students at Marian a. Peterson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marian a. Peterson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Marian a. Peterson Middle is Asian at 46.1% of enrollment, in Sunnyvale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marian a. Peterson Middle?
Marian a. Peterson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Marian a. Peterson Middle rank among middle schools in Sunnyvale?
By Resource Investment Index, Marian a. Peterson Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Sunnyvale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Sunnyvale on the city page.
Is Marian a. Peterson Middle a good school?
Marian a. Peterson Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. 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 Santa Clara Unified?
Besides Marian a. Peterson Middle, Santa Clara Unified also operates Santa Clara High (1,663 students), Adrian Wilcox High (1,614 students), and Juan Cabrillo Middle (796 students). See the Santa Clara Unified 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.