Enrollment
327
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · West Salem, OH
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 391003303993
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 37
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 83% of Ohio schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in West Salem · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for Ohio
- 30.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwestern High School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in West Salem, OH.
School address
District: Northwestern Local · Ohio
NCES ID 391003303993 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.0%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwestern High School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School is a mid-sized high school in West Salem, Ohio, enrolling 327 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.0% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 327 students, its enrollment sits close to the Ohio median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 564 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #160.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Northwestern Local also operates Northwestern Elementary School (632 students) and Northwestern Middle School (284 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 Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 25% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.0% | ▼ 5% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 327 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
327
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 17% in Ohio - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.1%
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
$12,367
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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
White 94.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 94.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.0, Northwestern High School is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwestern Local, which includes Northwestern High School.
$12,367
Per student
-16%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.2%
State 47.0%
Federal 8.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwestern Middle School | Similar size | Similar 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
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 284
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~327 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwestern High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwestern High School against another school. Compare schools
- Northwestern Local'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 327 students enrolled. It is a high school in West Salem, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School is 13.6:1, which is 25% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 13% 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?
30.0% of students at Northwestern High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwestern High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern High School is White at 94.8% of enrollment, in West Salem, OH.
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 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 Northwestern High School rank among public schools in West Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in West Salem, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Salem 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 83% of Ohio schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio 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 Northwestern Local?
Besides Northwestern High School, Northwestern Local also operates Northwestern Elementary School (632 students) and Northwestern Middle School (284 students). See the Northwestern Local 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.