Enrollment
532
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chicago, IL
Northwest Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170993003567
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Middle School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #7 of 7
- middle schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 532
- students enrolled
Northwest Middle School has class sizes larger than 76% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle School ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993003567 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Middle School
Northwest Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 532 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 532 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 532 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil, 24% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago's middle schools, it stands alongside Hernandez Middle School (720 students): Northwest Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 12.9:1).
City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students) and Taft High School (4,487 students) alongside Northwest 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 Northwest Middle School compares
Northwest Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 532 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
532
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Illinois - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.7%
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
$21,050
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 532 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 94.7%
White 2.3%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.2, Northwest Middle School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Northwest Middle School.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools in Chicago
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Hernandez Middle School
Standard public school
720 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Albany Park Multicultural Elem
Standard public school
243 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Madero Middle School
Standard public school
231 students 10:1 students per teacher
Evergreen Academy Elem School
Standard public school
191 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Learn Chtr - Middle School
Standard public school
176 students 35.2:1 students per teacher
Aspira Charter - Haugan Campus
Standard public school
83 students 83:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~532 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- City of Chicago Sd 299'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 Middle School
How many students attend Northwest Middle School?
Northwest Middle School has 532 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 94.7% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Middle School?
Northwest Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Northwest Middle School rank among middle schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle School ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Chicago on the city page.
Is Northwest Middle School a good school?
Northwest Middle School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools. 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 City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Northwest Middle School, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 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.