Enrollment
2,197
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dumfries, VA
Potomac High
Federal NCES profile for Potomac High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510313001857
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Potomac High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #10 of 10
- public schools in Dumfries · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Potomac High has class sizes larger than 94% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Potomac High ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Dumfries, VA.
School address
District: Prince William County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510313001857 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
125.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Potomac High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Potomac High
Potomac High is a large high school in Dumfries, Virginia, enrolling 2,197 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Virginia schools and 27% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.7% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,197 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 40 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #39, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students) and Woodbridge High (2,898 students) alongside Potomac 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 Potomac High compares
Potomac High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 27% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 21% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,197 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,197
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 94% in Virginia - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$13,913
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 439 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 277 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.8 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
African American 43.5%
Hispanic or Latino 31.0%
Asian 10.3%
White 9.1%
Two or More 5.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Potomac High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince William County Public Schools, which includes Potomac High.
$13,913
Per student
-5%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.2%
State 44.1%
Federal 8.6%
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 Potomac High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles J. Colgan Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodbridge High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Osbourn Park High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gar-Field High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Potomac High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,956
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,898
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,661
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,524
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,197 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Potomac High's federal record.
- Compare Potomac High against another school. Compare schools
- Prince William 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 Potomac High
How many students attend Potomac High?
Potomac High has 2,197 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dumfries, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Potomac High?
The student-teacher ratio at Potomac High is 17.6:1, which is 27% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Potomac High?
45.7% of students at Potomac High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Potomac High?
The largest demographic group at Potomac High is African American at 43.5% of enrollment, in Dumfries, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Potomac High?
Potomac High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Potomac High rank among public schools in Dumfries?
By Resource Investment Index, Potomac High ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Dumfries, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dumfries on the city page.
Is Potomac High a good school?
Potomac High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Prince William County Public Schools?
Besides Potomac High, Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students), Woodbridge High (2,898 students), and Osbourn Park High (2,661 students). See the Prince William 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.