Enrollment
1,424
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wichita, KS
Northwest High
Federal NCES profile for Northwest High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201299000351
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #8 of 13
- high schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 50.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest High has class sizes larger than 84% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High ranks #8 of 13 high schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest High
Northwest High is a higher-need, large high school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 1,424 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,424 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #16.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 407 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 384 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,424 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Wichita's high schools, it stands alongside East High (2,435 students): Northwest High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 16.8:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Northwest 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 Northwest High compares
Northwest High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 19% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.1% | ▲ 17% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,424 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,424
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 84% in Kansas - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.0%
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
$15,361
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 407 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
229
in-school suspensions + 155 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.0 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 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 25.8%
African American 15.4%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, Northwest High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Northwest High.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Northwest High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Wichita
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East High
Standard public school
2,435 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Southeast High
Standard public school
2,066 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
North High
Standard public school
2,041 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Campus High Haysville
Standard public school
1,803 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
South High
Standard public school
1,662 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Heights High
Standard public school
1,505 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,424 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest High's federal record.
- Compare Northwest High against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 Northwest High
How many students attend Northwest High?
Northwest High has 1,424 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest High?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest High is 16.4:1, which is 19% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest High?
50.1% of students at Northwest High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest High?
The largest demographic group at Northwest High is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest High?
Northwest High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Northwest High rank among high schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High ranks #8 of 13 high schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Northwest High a good school?
Northwest High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Wichita?
Besides Northwest High, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.