Enrollment
2,244
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Irvine, CA
Northwood High
Federal NCES profile for Northwood High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 068450008251
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwood High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 8
- high schools in Irvine · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.7:1
- large classes for California
- 17.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwood High has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood High ranks #4 of 8 high schools in Irvine, CA.
School address
District: Irvine Unified · California
NCES ID 068450008251 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwood High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwood High
Northwood High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Irvine, California, enrolling 2,244 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.6% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,244 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 222 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #122.
Its student body is led by Asian (63%) and White (17%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 374 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Irvine Unified spends $13,289 per pupil, 20% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Irvine's high schools, it stands alongside Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students): Northwood High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.7:1 vs 26.4:1).
Irvine Unified also operates Portola High (2,693 students) and University High (2,307 students) alongside Northwood High.
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 Northwood High compares
Northwood High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.7:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.6% | ▼ 68% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,244 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,244
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,289
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 374 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
Asian 62.8%
White 17.4%
Two or More 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
African American 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Northwood High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Irvine Unified, which includes Northwood High.
$13,289
Per student
-20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 31.0%
Federal 6.6%
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 Northwood High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portola High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| University High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodbridge High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irvine High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwood High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,693
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,232
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 31.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Irvine
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Arnold O. Beckman High
Standard public school
2,776 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Portola High
Standard public school
2,693 students 32.4:1 students per teacher
University High
Standard public school
2,307 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Woodbridge High
Standard public school
2,232 students 24:1 students per teacher
Irvine High
Standard public school
1,964 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Irvine Adult Transition Programs
Special-education school
117 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,244 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwood High's federal record.
- Compare Northwood High against another school. Compare schools
- Irvine Unified'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 Northwood High
How many students attend Northwood High?
Northwood High has 2,244 students enrolled. It is a high school in Irvine, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwood High?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwood High is 27.7:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwood High?
17.6% of students at Northwood High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwood High?
The largest demographic group at Northwood High is Asian at 62.8% of enrollment, in Irvine, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwood High?
Northwood High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Northwood High rank among high schools in Irvine?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood High ranks #4 of 8 high schools in Irvine, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Irvine on the city page.
Is Northwood High a good school?
Northwood High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Irvine Unified?
Besides Northwood High, Irvine Unified also operates Portola High (2,693 students), University High (2,307 students), and Woodbridge High (2,232 students). See the Irvine Unified 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.