High school (grades 9-12) · Erie, PA

Mcdowell Hs

Federal NCES profile for Mcdowell Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 421533007320
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
36
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
15
📋 Attendance
25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Mcdowell Hs earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.

#4 of 4
high schools in Erie · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
15.9:1
large classes for Pennsylvania
38.1%
free-lunch eligible

Mcdowell Hs has class sizes larger than 85% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Mcdowell Hs ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Erie, PA.

School address

Erie, PA 16506
District: Millcreek Township Sd · Pennsylvania

NCES ID 421533007320 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-44 students YoY

Mcdowell Hs held near 2,161 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-44 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 134.2 → 140.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-44 students YoY 421533007320 · Erie, PA High · LARGE · TRAD

2,133 enr · 15.9:1 · 38.1% lunch · RII 37

Nearest enrollment peer: Grandview El Sch (691 students)

Mcdowell Hs held near 2,161 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-44 headcount). Teacher FTE added 134.2 → 140.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Pennsylvania schools → · Find another →

Mcdowell Hs in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Mcdowell Hs reports 2,133 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Mcdowell Hs compares

Mcdowell Hs held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Pennsylvania and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Pennsylvania Pennsylvania avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.9:1 ▲ 17% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 38.1% ▼ 34% 58.1% 51.7%
Enrollment 2,133 top 1% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,133
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible - 34% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher - 17% above state mean
Top 85% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.9%
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
$15,389
per pupil, district-wide - below Pennsylvania avg of $18,725
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
230
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 78.5%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 37.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 37.2, Mcdowell Hs is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.

Programs

AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Millcreek Township Sd reports $15,389 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Mcdowell Hs Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Grandview El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Belle Valley El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Asbury El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
James S Wilson Ms Smaller Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Tracy El Sch Smaller Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Mcdowell Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Millcreek Township Sd · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar high schools in Erie

4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.

Erie Hs
Standard public school
2,501 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Northwest Pa Collegiate Academy
Standard public school
750 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Seneca Hs
Standard public school
383 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Erie County Technical School
Vocational / career-technical school
2 students

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~2,133 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)

Frequently asked questions about Mcdowell Hs

How many students attend Mcdowell Hs?

Mcdowell Hs has 2,133 students enrolled. It is a high school in Erie, PA. CCD year-over-year: 2,205 (2022-23) → 2,161 (2023-24), nearly flat (-44).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Hs?

The student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Hs is 15.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdowell Hs?

38.1% of students at Mcdowell Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdowell Hs?

The largest demographic group at Mcdowell Hs is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Erie, PA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdowell Hs?

Mcdowell Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Mcdowell Hs rank among high schools in Erie?

By Resource Investment Index, Mcdowell Hs ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Erie, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Erie on the city page.

What other schools are in Millcreek Township Sd?

Besides Mcdowell Hs, Millcreek Township Sd also operates Grandview El Sch (691 students), Belle Valley El Sch (626 students), and Asbury El Sch (572 students). See the Millcreek Township Sd district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .