Enrollment
775
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tuscaloosa, AL
Northridge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northridge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010336001889
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northridge Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Tuscaloosa · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 37.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Northridge Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northridge Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Tuscaloosa, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa City · Alabama
NCES ID 010336001889 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northridge Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northridge Middle School
Northridge Middle School is a large middle school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, enrolling 775 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 37.6% free-meal eligibility runs 36% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 775 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 252 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (36%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tuscaloosa's middle schools, it stands alongside Westlawn Middle School (568 students): Northridge Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 18.9:1).
Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students) and Paul W Bryant High School (1,134 students) alongside Northridge Middle 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 Northridge Middle School compares
Northridge Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.6% | ▼ 36% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 775 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
775
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in Alabama - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,947
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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
White 49.2%
African American 36.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 3.6%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 49.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Northridge Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa City, which includes Northridge Middle School.
$12,947
Per student
+4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 42.3%
Federal 18.0%
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 Northridge Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul W Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastwood Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Quarry Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northridge Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Tuscaloosa
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~775 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northridge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northridge Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa City'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 Northridge Middle School
How many students attend Northridge Middle School?
Northridge Middle School has 775 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northridge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northridge Middle School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% higher 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 Northridge Middle School?
37.6% of students at Northridge Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northridge Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northridge Middle School is White at 49.2% of enrollment, in Tuscaloosa, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northridge Middle School?
Northridge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Northridge Middle School rank among middle schools in Tuscaloosa?
By Resource Investment Index, Northridge Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Tuscaloosa, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tuscaloosa on the city page.
Is Northridge Middle School a good school?
Northridge Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Tuscaloosa City?
Besides Northridge Middle School, Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students), Paul W Bryant High School (1,134 students), and Central High School (796 students). See the Tuscaloosa City 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.