Enrollment
542
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salt Lake City, UT
Northwest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 490087000512
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Utah schools.
- #3 of 9
- middle schools in Salt Lake City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Utah
- 77.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Middle has class sizes smaller than 87% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle ranks #3 of 9 middle schools in Salt Lake City, UT.
School address
District: Salt Lake District · Utah
NCES ID 490087000512 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.3%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
+176% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Middle compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Middle
Northwest Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Salt Lake City, Utah, enrolling 542 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.9:1, Northwest Middle is leaner than roughly 87% of Utah schools and 26% under the state's 21.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 77.3% of students qualify for free meals, 176% above the Utah average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 542 students, its enrollment sits close to the Utah median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Among 20 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Utah schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (8%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 181 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Salt Lake District spends $12,784 per pupil, 31% above the Utah average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Salt Lake City's middle schools, it stands alongside Butler Middle (913 students): Northwest Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 22.3:1).
Salt Lake District also operates West High (2,503 students) and Highland High (1,973 students) alongside Northwest Middle.
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 compares
Northwest Middle on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 26% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.3% | ▲ 176% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 542 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
542
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 176% above the Utah average of 28.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in Utah - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.9%
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
$12,784
per pupil, district-wide
- above Utah avg of $9,792
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 181 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 72.5%
White 8.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.5%
African American 4.8%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Northwest Middle is more mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salt Lake District, which includes Northwest Middle.
$12,784
Per student
+31%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.3%
State 26.5%
Federal 14.2%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glendale Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,503
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,973
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 678
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in Salt Lake City
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~542 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Salt Lake District'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
How many students attend Northwest Middle?
Northwest Middle has 542 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salt Lake City, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle is 15.9:1, which is 26% lower than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 1% 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 Middle?
77.3% of students at Northwest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 72.5% of enrollment, in Salt Lake City, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Middle?
Northwest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 rank among middle schools in Salt Lake City?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle ranks #3 of 9 middle schools in Salt Lake City, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Salt Lake City on the city page.
Is Northwest Middle a good school?
Northwest Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Utah 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 Salt Lake District?
Besides Northwest Middle, Salt Lake District also operates West High (2,503 students), Highland High (1,973 students), and East High (1,764 students). See the Salt Lake District 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.