Enrollment
2,108
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 510126002034
Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology — Alexandria, VA
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
👥 Class size 31
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 89
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
114.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14:1 Virginia avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.5%
vs 59.9% Virginia avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology reports 2,108 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 114.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% above the Virginia state mean of 14:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 9.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 84% below the Virginia average and 82% below the national baseline. The school offers 21 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 264 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 4.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $19,816 per pupil district-wide, above the Virginia average of $16,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 66.6% from local sources (property taxes), 23.3% from the state, and 10.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Virginia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 24% | 14:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.5% | ▼ 84% | 59.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,108 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
9.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 84% below the Virginia average of 59.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 94% in Virginia — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$19,816
per pupil, district-wide
— above Virginia avg of $16,211
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 264 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 2,108 Top 97% in Virginia — larger than 3% of 1,869 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 114.0
Students per teacher 17.3:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 9.5% -84% vs state
NCES ID 510126002034
Student demographics
Asian 60.5%
White 20.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
African American 5.6%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 60.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 21
Counselors (FTE) 8.0
Students per counselor 264:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 4.2%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology.
$19,816
Per student
+22%
vs Virginia
Avg $16,211
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
Similar high schools in Alexandria
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Alexandria City High School
Standard public school
4,655 students 14:1 students per teacher
West Potomac High
Standard public school
2,710 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Edison High
Standard public school
2,294 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Mount Vernon High
Standard public school
1,858 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Bryant High
Alternative education program
154 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology
How many students attend Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology?
Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology has 2,108 students enrolled. It is a high school in Alexandria, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology is 17.3:1, which is 24% higher than the Virginia average of 14:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology?
9.5% of students at Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 59.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology is Asian at 60.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Alexandria, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology?
Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.