Enrollment
410
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Long Island City, NY
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst
Federal NCES profile for Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360010202606
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #7 of 15
- schools in Long Island City · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 88.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst ranks #7 of 15 schools in Long Island City, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #30 · New York
NCES ID 360010202606 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.8%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Long Island City, New York, enrolling 410 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 88.8% of students qualify for free meals, 58% above the New York average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 410 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 869 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #601.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students) and Long Island City High School (1,639 students) alongside Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst.
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 Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst compares
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.8% | ▲ 58% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 410 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
410
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% above the New York average of 56.2%
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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 65% in New York - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
59.8%
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.
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 52.0%
African American 19.5%
White 13.9%
Asian 12.2%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Cullen Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Long Island City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Is 227 Louis Armstrong | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Is 145 Joseph Pulitzer | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Academy of American Studies | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,996
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,639
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,555
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,397
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~410 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst's federal record.
- Compare Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #30'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 Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst
How many students attend Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst?
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst has 410 students enrolled. It is a public school in Long Island City, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst is 12.4:1, which is 5% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst?
88.8% of students at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst?
The largest demographic group at Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst is Hispanic or Latino at 52.0% of enrollment, in Long Island City, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst?
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst rank among schools in Long Island City?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst ranks #7 of 15 schools in Long Island City, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Long Island City on the city page.
Is Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst a good school?
Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools. 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 New York City Geographic District #30?
Besides Ps 171 Peter G Van Alst, New York City Geographic District #30 also operates William Cullen Bryant High School (1,996 students), Long Island City High School (1,639 students), and Is 227 Louis Armstrong (1,555 students). See the New York City Geographic District #30 district page for the complete list.
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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.