Enrollment
288
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cedar Rapids, IA
Metro High School
Federal NCES profile for Metro High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190654000259
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Metro High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 5
- high schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 64.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Metro High School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Metro High School ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Rapids Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190654000259 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Metro High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Metro High School
Metro High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 288 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 64.7% of students qualify for free meals, 78% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 288 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 118 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 288 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Discipline events run high: 84 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 288 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Cedar Rapids's high schools, it stands alongside Prairie High School (1,766 students): Metro High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students) and Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students) alongside Metro High School.
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 Metro High School compares
Metro High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.7% | ▲ 78% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
288
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 29% in Iowa - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,962
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 288 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
White 50.9%
African American 20.9%
Two or More 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 50.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Metro High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Rapids Comm School District, which includes Metro High School.
$13,962
Per student
+9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 Metro High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F Kennedy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Washington High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harding Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Metro High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,501
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools in Cedar Rapids
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Prairie High School
Standard public school
1,766 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
John F Kennedy High School
Standard public school
1,648 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson High School
Standard public school
1,501 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
George Washington High School
Standard public school
1,182 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~288 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Metro High School's federal record.
- Compare Metro High School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Rapids Comm 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 Metro High School
How many students attend Metro High School?
Metro High School has 288 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Metro High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Metro High School is 12.5:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 20% 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 Metro High School?
64.7% of students at Metro High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Metro High School?
The largest demographic group at Metro High School is White at 50.9% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Metro High School?
Metro High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Metro High School rank among high schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Metro High School ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Cedar Rapids, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.
Is Metro High School a good school?
Metro High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District?
Besides Metro High School, Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students), Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students), and George Washington High School (1,182 students). See the Cedar Rapids Comm 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.