Enrollment
380
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn, NY
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence
Federal NCES profile for Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360009202607
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of New York schools.
- #76 of 262
- schools in Brooklyn · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.8:1
- small classes for New York
- 78.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence has class sizes smaller than 84% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence ranks #76 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #15 · New York
NCES ID 360009202607 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Brooklyn, New York, enrolling 380 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 8.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 380 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 850 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #267.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (19%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #15 also operates Sunset Park High School (1,348 students) and Ps 321 William Penn (1,305 students) alongside Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence.
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 172 Beacon School of Excellence compares
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.0% | ▲ 39% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 16% in New York - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.1%
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 64.5%
White 18.7%
Asian 8.2%
African American 5.0%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 321 William Penn | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ms 51 William Alexander | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 230 Doris L Cohen | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ps 130 Parkside (the) | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,348
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,038
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 925
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~380 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence's federal record.
- Compare Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #15'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 172 Beacon School of Excellence
How many students attend Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence?
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence has 380 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brooklyn, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence?
The student-teacher ratio at Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence is 8.8:1, which is 25% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 44% lower 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 Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence?
78.0% of students at Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence?
The largest demographic group at Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence is Hispanic or Latino at 64.5% of enrollment, in Brooklyn, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence?
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 172 Beacon School of Excellence rank among schools in Brooklyn?
By Resource Investment Index, Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence ranks #76 of 262 schools in Brooklyn, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Brooklyn on the city page.
Is Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence a good school?
Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of 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 #15?
Besides Ps 172 Beacon School of Excellence, New York City Geographic District #15 also operates Sunset Park High School (1,348 students), Ps 321 William Penn (1,305 students), and Ms 51 William Alexander (1,038 students). See the New York City Geographic District #15 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.