Enrollment
256
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Seattle, WA
Nova High School
Federal NCES profile for Nova High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530771001226
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nova High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #2 of 14
- high schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 26.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Nova High School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nova High School ranks #2 of 14 high schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771001226 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.7%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nova High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nova High School
Nova High School is a mid-sized high school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 256 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Washington median, within a few percentage points of the 17.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 256 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 182 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 53/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Seattle's high schools, it stands alongside Lincoln High School (1,770 students): Nova High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.1:1 vs 24.6:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Nova 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 Nova High School compares
Nova High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.7% | ▼ 41% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 57% in Washington - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 65.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%
Two or More 9.9%
African American 6.9%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Nova High School is about as mixed as the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Nova High School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Nova High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nova High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Seattle
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,770 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Evergreen High School
Standard public school
1,080 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Summit Public School: Sierra
Standard public school
214 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
New Start
Alternative education program
142 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Interagency Open Doors
Alternative education program
132 students
Puget Sound Skills Center
Vocational / career-technical school
3 students
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~256 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nova High School's federal record.
- Compare Nova High School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Nova High School
How many students attend Nova High School?
Nova High School has 256 students enrolled. It is a high school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nova High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nova High School is 17.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 9% 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 Nova High School?
26.7% of students at Nova High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nova High School?
The largest demographic group at Nova High School is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nova High School?
Nova High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nova High School rank among high schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Nova High School ranks #2 of 14 high schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Nova High School a good school?
Nova High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median. 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Nova High School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.