Enrollment
1,654
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Silver Spring, MD
Northwood High
Federal NCES profile for Northwood High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240048001366
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwood High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #3 of 6
- high schools in Silver Spring · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwood High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood High ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048001366 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
126.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwood High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwood High
Northwood High is a higher-need, large high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, enrolling 1,654 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,654 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 75 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #25.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 204 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Silver Spring's high schools, it stands alongside Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students): Northwood High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 17:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 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 Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▲ 19% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,654 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,654
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 31% in Maryland - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.9%
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
$18,101
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.1 FTE
Per 204 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 59.8%
African American 23.3%
White 10.5%
Asian 3.8%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Northwood High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Northwood High.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | 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
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Silver Spring
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Montgomery Blair High
Standard public school
3,266 students 17:1 students per teacher
Wheaton High
Standard public school
2,794 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
James Hubert Blake High
Standard public school
1,960 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
John F. Kennedy High
Standard public school
1,880 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Springbrook High
Standard public school
1,838 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,654 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwood High's federal record.
- Compare Northwood High against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery County Public Schools'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 1,654 students enrolled. It is a high school in Silver Spring, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwood High?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwood High is 13.1:1, which is 10% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 17% 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 Northwood High?
58.3% of students at Northwood High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwood High?
The largest demographic group at Northwood High is Hispanic or Latino at 59.8% of enrollment, in Silver Spring, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwood High?
Northwood High has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Silver Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood High ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Silver Spring on the city page.
Is Northwood High a good school?
Northwood High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Northwood High, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery County Public Schools 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.