Enrollment
2,077
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Plainfield, NJ
Plainfield High School
Federal NCES profile for Plainfield High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341314005604
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plainfield High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey.
- #13 of 16
- public schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 68.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Plainfield High School has class sizes larger than 94% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plainfield High School ranks #13 of 16 public schools in Plainfield, NJ.
School address
District: Plainfield Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341314005604 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
130.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.1%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+130% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plainfield High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plainfield High School
Plainfield High School is a higher-need, large high school in Plainfield, New Jersey, enrolling 2,077 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16:1 is larger than about 94% of New Jersey schools and 36% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 68.1% of students qualify for free meals, 130% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,077 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,501 New Jersey schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 25 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #20, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 231 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Plainfield Public School District also operates Hubbard Middle School (737 students) and Maxson Middle School (721 students) alongside Plainfield 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 Plainfield High School compares
Plainfield High School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 36% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.1% | ▲ 130% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,077 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,077
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 130% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
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
16:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 94% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.2%
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
$20,332
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 231 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 82.2%
African American 15.7%
White 0.8%
Two or More 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, Plainfield High School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainfield Public School District, which includes Plainfield High School.
$20,332
Per student
-19%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.5%
State 81.5%
Federal 9.0%
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 Plainfield High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubbard Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maxson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cedarbrook Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Community School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dewitt D. Barlow Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plainfield High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,077 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plainfield High School's federal record.
- Compare Plainfield High School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainfield Public School 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 Plainfield High School
How many students attend Plainfield High School?
Plainfield High School has 2,077 students enrolled. It is a high school in Plainfield, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plainfield High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Plainfield High School is 16:1, which is 36% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plainfield High School?
68.1% of students at Plainfield High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plainfield High School?
The largest demographic group at Plainfield High School is Hispanic or Latino at 82.2% of enrollment, in Plainfield, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plainfield High School?
Plainfield High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Plainfield High School rank among public schools in Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Plainfield High School ranks #13 of 16 public schools in Plainfield, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Plainfield on the city page.
Is Plainfield High School a good school?
Plainfield High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey. 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 Plainfield Public School District?
Besides Plainfield High School, Plainfield Public School District also operates Hubbard Middle School (737 students), Maxson Middle School (721 students), and Cedarbrook Elementary School (671 students). See the Plainfield Public School 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.