Enrollment
2,646
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Skokie, IL
Niles West High School
Federal NCES profile for Niles West High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 172853002988
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Niles West High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also one of the largest schools in Illinois.
- #9 of 14
- public schools in Skokie · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 2,646
- students enrolled
Niles West High School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Niles West High School ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Skokie, IL.
School address
District: Niles Twp Hsd 219 · Illinois
NCES ID 172853002988 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
184.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Niles West High School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Niles West High School
Niles West High School is a large high school in Skokie, Illinois, enrolling 2,646 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Illinois, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,646 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Asian (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 28 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Niles Twp Hsd 219 spends $34,307 per pupil, 101% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Skokie's high schools, it stands alongside Niles North High School (1,999 students): Niles West High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.4:1 vs 12.2:1).
Its district, Niles Twp Hsd 219, also runs Niles North High School (1,999 students).
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 Niles West High School compares
Niles West High School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 2,646 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,646
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in Illinois - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$34,307
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 36.7%
Asian 33.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
African American 7.1%
Two or More 5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.8, Niles West High School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niles Twp Hsd 219, which includes Niles West High School.
$34,307
Per student
+101%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+107%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 18.4%
Federal 1.0%
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.
How Niles West High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles North High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Niles West High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,999
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Skokie
1 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 Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,646 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Niles West High School's federal record.
- Compare Niles West High School against another school. Compare schools
- Niles Twp Hsd 219'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 Niles West High School
How many students attend Niles West High School?
Niles West High School has 2,646 students enrolled. It is a high school in Skokie, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Niles West High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Niles West High School is 14.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Niles West High School?
The largest demographic group at Niles West High School is White at 36.7% of enrollment, in Skokie, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Niles West High School?
Niles West High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Niles West High School rank among public schools in Skokie?
By Resource Investment Index, Niles West High School ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Skokie, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Skokie on the city page.
Is Niles West High School a good school?
Niles West High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also one of the largest schools in Illinois. 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 Niles Twp Hsd 219?
Besides Niles West High School, Niles Twp Hsd 219 also operates Niles North High School (1,999 students). See the Niles Twp Hsd 219 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.