Enrollment
575
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Opelousas, LA
Northwest High School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 220156002006
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana median.
- #8 of 12
- public schools in Opelousas · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest High School has class sizes near the Louisiana median. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Opelousas, LA.
School address
District: St. Landry Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220156002006 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest High School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest High School
Northwest High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Opelousas, Louisiana, enrolling 575 students.
At 16.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Louisiana median, within a few percentage points of the 16.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 67.4% lands close to the Louisiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 575 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 412 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #275.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and White (21%) (diversity index 41/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 288 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 125 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 575 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Opelousas's high schools, it stands alongside Opelousas Senior High School (698 students): Northwest High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 17.4:1).
St. Landry Parish also operates Beau Chene High School (767 students) and Opelousas Senior High School (698 students) alongside Northwest High 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 Northwest High School compares
Northwest High School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▼ 2% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 8% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 30% | - | - |
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.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 50% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.7%
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
$14,050
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 288 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 124 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
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 73.7%
White 21.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Northwest High School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Landry Parish, which includes Northwest High School.
$14,050
Per student
-14%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.6%
State 44.1%
Federal 27.3%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beau Chene High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Opelousas Senior High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Leonville Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eunice High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lawtell Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 698
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools in Opelousas
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 Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~575 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest High School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Landry Parish'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 School
How many students attend Northwest High School?
Northwest High School has 575 students enrolled. It is a high school in Opelousas, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School is 16.4:1, which is 2% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 4% 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 Northwest High School?
67.4% of students at Northwest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest High School is African American at 73.7% of enrollment, in Opelousas, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest High School?
Northwest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Opelousas?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Opelousas, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Opelousas on the city page.
Is Northwest High School a good school?
Northwest High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Louisiana 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 St. Landry Parish?
Besides Northwest High School, St. Landry Parish also operates Beau Chene High School (767 students), Opelousas Senior High School (698 students), and Leonville Elementary School (616 students). See the St. Landry Parish 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.