Enrollment
680
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Grand Island, NE
Northwest High School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 317458001333
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #6 of 23
- public schools in Grand Island · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 18.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest High School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #6 of 23 public schools in Grand Island, NE.
School address
District: Northwest Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317458001333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.3%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest High School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest High School
Northwest High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Grand Island, Nebraska, enrolling 680 students.
At 13.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nebraska median, within a few percentage points of the 13.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 18.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Nebraska, bigger than 91% of state schools at 680 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 95 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 340 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Northwest Public Schools spends $13,686 per pupil, 23% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Northwest Public Schools also operates Cedar Hollow School (378 students) and 1r Elementary (194 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 Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.3% | ▼ 41% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 680 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
680
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 54% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,686
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 340 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 82.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.9, Northwest High School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwest Public Schools, which includes Northwest High School.
$13,686
Per student
-23%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.2%
State 48.5%
Federal 8.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hollow School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| 1r Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St Libory Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lockwood Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | 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
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 194
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 32
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~680 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest High School against another school. Compare schools
- Northwest Public 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 680 students enrolled. It is a high school in Grand Island, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest High School is 13.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 15% lower 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?
18.3% of students at Northwest High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest High School is White at 82.5% of enrollment, in Grand Island, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest High School?
Northwest High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Grand Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest High School ranks #6 of 23 public schools in Grand Island, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Grand Island on the city page.
Is Northwest High School a good school?
Northwest High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska 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 Northwest Public Schools?
Besides Northwest High School, Northwest Public Schools also operates Cedar Hollow School (378 students), 1r Elementary (194 students), and St Libory Elementary School (161 students). See the Northwest Public 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.