Enrollment
959
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 550960002339
Milwaukee High School of the Arts — Milwaukee, WI
Federal NCES profile for Milwaukee High School of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 38
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Milwaukee School District · Wisconsin
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.9%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Milwaukee High School of the Arts compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Milwaukee High School of the Arts reports 959 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 64.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 73.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 92% above the Wisconsin average and 43% above the national baseline. The school offers 13 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 320 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 70.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Milwaukee School District spends $19,598 per pupil district-wide, above the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.3% from local sources (property taxes), 57.7% from the state, and 15.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Milwaukee High School of the Arts compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.9% | ▲ 92% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 959 | top 95% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
73.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 92% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 76% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
70.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,598
per pupil, district-wide
— above Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 320 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 145 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 959 Top 95% in Wisconsin — larger than 5% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 64.0
Students per teacher 15.5:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 73.9% +92% vs state
NCES ID 550960002339
Student demographics
African American 55.4%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Asian 11.8%
White 8.1%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 55.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 320:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 70.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 145
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Milwaukee School District, which includes Milwaukee High School of the Arts.
$19,598
Per student
+5%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.3%
State 57.7%
Federal 15.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 28.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 29.8:1
Similar high schools in Milwaukee
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Hamilton High
Standard public school
1,472 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Reagan College Preparatory High
Standard public school
1,372 students 22:1 students per teacher
King International
Standard public school
1,308 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Riverside High
Standard public school
1,240 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Bradley Technology High
Standard public school
1,048 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Pulaski High
Standard public school
1,041 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Milwaukee High School of the Arts
How many students attend Milwaukee High School of the Arts?
Milwaukee High School of the Arts has 959 students enrolled. It is a high school in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Milwaukee High School of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Milwaukee High School of the Arts is 15.5:1, which is 3% higher than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Milwaukee High School of the Arts?
73.9% of students at Milwaukee High School of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Milwaukee High School of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Milwaukee High School of the Arts is African American at 55.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Milwaukee High School of the Arts?
Milwaukee High School of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.