Enrollment
1,683
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Suffolk, VA
Nansemond River High
Federal NCES profile for Nansemond River High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510371002218
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nansemond River High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Suffolk · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 64.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Nansemond River High has class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nansemond River High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Suffolk, VA.
School address
District: Suffolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510371002218 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
109.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nansemond River High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nansemond River High
Nansemond River High is a higher-need, large high school in Suffolk, Virginia, enrolling 1,683 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.3% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,683 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #22.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and White (30%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Suffolk's high schools, it stands alongside King's Fork High (1,686 students): Nansemond River High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 15.5:1).
Suffolk City Public Schools also operates King's Fork High (1,686 students) and Lakeland High (1,045 students) alongside Nansemond River High.
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 Nansemond River High compares
Nansemond River High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.3% | ▲ 12% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,683 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,683
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 74% in Virginia - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$13,163
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
185
in-school suspensions + 105 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 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 49.4%
White 30.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 49.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Nansemond River High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffolk City Public Schools, which includes Nansemond River High.
$13,163
Per student
-10%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.5%
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 Nansemond River High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Fork High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeland High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| King's Fork Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Florence Bowser Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northern Shores Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nansemond River High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,686
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools in Suffolk
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,683 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nansemond River High's federal record.
- Compare Nansemond River High against another school. Compare schools
- Suffolk City Public Schools'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 Nansemond River High
How many students attend Nansemond River High?
Nansemond River High has 1,683 students enrolled. It is a high school in Suffolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nansemond River High?
The student-teacher ratio at Nansemond River High is 15.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nansemond River High?
64.3% of students at Nansemond River High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nansemond River High?
The largest demographic group at Nansemond River High is African American at 49.4% of enrollment, in Suffolk, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nansemond River High?
Nansemond River High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nansemond River High rank among high schools in Suffolk?
By Resource Investment Index, Nansemond River High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Suffolk, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Suffolk on the city page.
Is Nansemond River High a good school?
Nansemond River High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Suffolk City Public Schools?
Besides Nansemond River High, Suffolk City Public Schools also operates King's Fork High (1,686 students), Lakeland High (1,045 students), and King's Fork Middle (986 students). See the Suffolk City Public Schools 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.