Enrollment
247
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Underwood, IA
Underwood High School
Federal NCES profile for Underwood High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192823001647
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Underwood High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Underwood · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 10.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Underwood High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Underwood, IA.
School address
District: Underwood Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192823001647 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Underwood High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Underwood High School
Underwood High School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Underwood, Iowa, enrolling 247 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.3% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the Iowa average.
With 247 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 138 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Underwood Comm School District also operates Underwood Elementary School (424 students) and Underwood Middle School (184 students) alongside Underwood High School.
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 Underwood High School compares
Underwood High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.3% | ▼ 72% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 247 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
247
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Iowa - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,339
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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
White 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 2.8%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, Underwood High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Underwood Comm School District, which includes Underwood High School.
$11,339
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.2%
State 47.9%
Federal 6.9%
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 Underwood High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underwood Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Underwood Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Underwood High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~247 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Underwood High School's federal record.
- Compare Underwood High School against another school. Compare schools
- Underwood Comm School District'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 Underwood High School
How many students attend Underwood High School?
Underwood High School has 247 students enrolled. It is a high school in Underwood, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Underwood High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Underwood High School is 14.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 8% 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 Underwood High School?
10.3% of students at Underwood High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Underwood High School?
The largest demographic group at Underwood High School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Underwood, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Underwood High School?
Underwood High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Underwood High School rank among public schools in Underwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Underwood, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Underwood on the city page.
Is Underwood High School a good school?
Underwood High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Underwood Comm School District?
Besides Underwood High School, Underwood Comm School District also operates Underwood Elementary School (424 students) and Underwood Middle School (184 students). See the Underwood Comm School District 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.