Enrollment
1,194
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Portage, MI
Portage Northern High School
Federal NCES profile for Portage Northern High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 262895006493
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portage Northern High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Portage · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 27.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Portage Northern High School has class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portage Northern High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Portage, MI.
School address
District: Portage Public Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262895006493 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.0%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portage Northern High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portage Northern High School
Portage Northern High School is a large high school in Portage, Michigan, enrolling 1,194 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Michigan, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,194 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 184 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #103.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Two or More (11%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students) and Portage Central Middle School (719 students) alongside Portage Northern 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 Portage Northern High School compares
Portage Northern High School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.6:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.0% | ▼ 50% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,194 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,194
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Michigan - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$12,499
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 121 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 63.1%
Two or More 11.0%
African American 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 63.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.7, Portage Northern High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portage Public Schools, which includes Portage Northern High School.
$12,499
Per student
-7%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 57.3%
Federal 6.3%
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 Portage Northern High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Central High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage West Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portage North Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moorsbridge Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portage Northern High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,391
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,194 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portage Northern High School's federal record.
- Compare Portage Northern High School against another school. Compare schools
- Portage 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 Portage Northern High School
How many students attend Portage Northern High School?
Portage Northern High School has 1,194 students enrolled. It is a high school in Portage, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portage Northern High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Portage Northern High School is 19.6:1, which is 12% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portage Northern High School?
27.0% of students at Portage Northern High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portage Northern High School?
The largest demographic group at Portage Northern High School is White at 63.1% of enrollment, in Portage, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portage Northern High School?
Portage Northern High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Portage Northern High School rank among high schools in Portage?
By Resource Investment Index, Portage Northern High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Portage, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Portage on the city page.
Is Portage Northern High School a good school?
Portage Northern High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Michigan schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Michigan. 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 Portage Public Schools?
Besides Portage Northern High School, Portage Public Schools also operates Portage Central High School (1,391 students), Portage Central Middle School (719 students), and Portage West Middle School (717 students). See the Portage 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.