Enrollment
958
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Jackson, MI
Northwest High School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262601006255
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest High School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- students per teacher
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest High School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Jackson, MI.
School address
District: Northwest Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262601006255 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest High School
Northwest High School is a large high school in Jackson, Michigan, enrolling 958 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 95% of state schools at 958 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #156.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's high schools, it stands alongside Jackson Pathways (77 students): Northwest High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.4:1 vs 19.3:1).
Northwest Community Schools also operates Northwest Early Elementary School (848 students) and Northwest Kidder Middle School (786 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 34% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 958 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
958
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Michigan - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.0%
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
$11,340
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
White 79.2%
Two or More 8.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
African American 4.0%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Northwest High School is about as mixed as the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwest Community Schools, which includes Northwest High School.
$11,340
Per student
-16%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 65.0%
Federal 15.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Early Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwest Kidder Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northwest Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northwest Connect | Smaller | Higher 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
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 786
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 157
- Students per teacher
- 39.3:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
Similar high schools in Jackson
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 Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~958 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest High School against another school. Compare schools
- Northwest Community 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 Northwest High School
How many students attend Northwest High School?
Northwest High School has 958 students enrolled. It is a high school in Jackson, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School is 18.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest High School?
36.0% of students at Northwest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest High School is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Jackson, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest High School?
Northwest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 high schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Jackson, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Northwest High School a good school?
Northwest High School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Northwest Community Schools?
Besides Northwest High School, Northwest Community Schools also operates Northwest Early Elementary School (848 students), Northwest Kidder Middle School (786 students), and Northwest Elementary School (758 students). See the Northwest Community 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.