Enrollment
967
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sterling, VA
Sterling Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sterling Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510225000933
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling Middle earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.1:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 83.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling Middle has class sizes smaller than 94% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Sterling, VA.
School address
District: Loudoun County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510225000933 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling Middle
Sterling Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Sterling, Virginia, enrolling 967 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.1:1, Sterling Middle is leaner than roughly 94% of Virginia schools and 27% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 967 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 206 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (76%) and Asian (9%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 193 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools spends $18,953 per pupil, 29% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sterling's middle schools, it stands alongside River Bend Middle (1,137 students): Sterling Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.1:1 vs 12.2:1).
Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students) and Lightridge High (2,030 students) alongside Sterling Middle.
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 Sterling Middle compares
Sterling Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.1:1 | ▼ 27% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.2% | ▲ 44% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 967 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
967
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 6% in Virginia - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$18,953
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 193 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
142
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.7 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 76.4%
Asian 8.5%
White 7.9%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Sterling Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Loudoun County Public Schools, which includes Sterling Middle.
$18,953
Per student
+29%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 27.1%
Federal 5.0%
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 Sterling Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lightridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Briar Woods High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Champe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,166
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,851
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Sterling
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~967 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sterling Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Loudoun 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 Sterling Middle
How many students attend Sterling Middle?
Sterling Middle has 967 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sterling, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle is 10.1:1, which is 27% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 36% 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 Sterling Middle?
83.2% of students at Sterling Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sterling Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of enrollment, in Sterling, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling Middle?
Sterling Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sterling Middle rank among middle schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Sterling, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Sterling Middle a good school?
Sterling Middle earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Virginia 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 Loudoun County Public Schools?
Besides Sterling Middle, Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students), Lightridge High (2,030 students), and Freedom High (1,885 students). See the Loudoun 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.