Enrollment
305
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Detroit, MI
Northwestern High School
Federal NCES profile for Northwestern High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 260110304802
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwestern High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #5 of 16
- high schools in Detroit · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 88.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwestern High School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School ranks #5 of 16 high schools in Detroit, MI.
School address
District: Detroit Public Schools Community District · Michigan
NCES ID 260110304802 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwestern High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 305 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Northwestern High School is leaner than roughly 86% of Michigan schools and 30% under the state's 17.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.0% of students qualify for free meals, 62% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 305 students, its enrollment sits close to the Michigan median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Among 376 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Michigan schools statewide, it ranks #31, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Detroit Public Schools Community District spends $21,771 per pupil, 61% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Detroit's high schools, it stands alongside East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney (639 students): Northwestern High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 15.6:1).
Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students) and Western International High School (1,959 students) alongside Northwestern 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 Northwestern High School compares
Northwestern 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 30% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.0% | ▲ 62% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 14% in Michigan - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$21,771
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 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
African American 98.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.0%
White 0.7%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 98.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.9, Northwestern High School is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Detroit Public Schools Community District, which includes Northwestern High School.
$21,771
Per student
+61%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 19.1%
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 Northwestern High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Technical High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western International High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Renaissance High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earhart Elementarymiddle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwestern High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,493
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,959
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,197
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,002
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Similar high schools in Detroit
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East English Village Preparatory Academy at Finney
Standard public school
639 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Henry Ford High School
Standard public school
607 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Southeastern High School
Standard public school
602 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Voyageur College Prep
Standard public school
524 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Denby High School
Standard public school
464 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
University Preparatory Science and Math Psad High School
Standard public school
452 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~305 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwestern High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwestern High School against another school. Compare schools
- Detroit Public Schools Community 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 Northwestern High School
How many students attend Northwestern High School?
Northwestern High School has 305 students enrolled. It is a high school in Detroit, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School is 12.2:1, which is 30% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 22% 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 Northwestern High School?
88.0% of students at Northwestern High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwestern High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern High School is African American at 98.0% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwestern High School?
Northwestern High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Northwestern High School rank among high schools in Detroit?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School ranks #5 of 16 high schools in Detroit, 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 Detroit on the city page.
Is Northwestern High School a good school?
Northwestern High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Michigan schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Detroit Public Schools Community District?
Besides Northwestern High School, Detroit Public Schools Community District also operates Cass Technical High School (2,493 students), Western International High School (1,959 students), and Renaissance High School (1,197 students). See the Detroit Public Schools Community 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.