Enrollment
386
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Detroit, MI
Marion Law Academy
Federal NCES profile for Marion Law Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 260110304773
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marion Law Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #49 of 75
- schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 90.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Marion Law Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marion Law Academy ranks #49 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110304773 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marion Law Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marion Law Academy
Marion Law Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 386 students.
At 17.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 90.1% of students qualify for free meals, 66% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 386 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 371 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #247.
Its student body is predominantly African American (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 91.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Detroit's public schools, it stands alongside Earhart Elementarymiddle School (1,002 students): Marion Law Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 20.4:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Marion Law Academy.
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 Marion Law Academy compares
Marion Law Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.1% | ▲ 66% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
386
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 57% in Michigan - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
91.2%
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
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.9 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
African American 96.4%
Two or More 1.3%
White 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 96.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.0, Marion Law Academy is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Marion Law Academy.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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 Marion Law Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marion Law Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar other schools in Detroit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Earhart Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
1,002 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Munger Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
954 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mackenzie Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
876 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Art Design Middlehigh
Standard public school
855 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Davison Elementarymiddle School
Standard public school
765 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hope of Detroit Academy Middlehigh
Standard public school
582 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~386 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marion Law Academy's federal record.
- Compare Marion Law Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community 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 Marion Law Academy
How many students attend Marion Law Academy?
Marion Law Academy has 386 students enrolled. It is a public school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marion Law Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Marion Law Academy is 17.5:1, which is 0% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Marion Law Academy?
90.1% of students at Marion Law Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marion Law Academy?
The largest demographic group at Marion Law Academy is African American at 96.4% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marion Law Academy?
Marion Law Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Marion Law Academy rank among schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Marion Law Academy ranks #49 of 75 schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Detroit on the city page.
Is Marion Law Academy a good school?
Marion Law Academy earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Marion Law Academy, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community 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.