High school (grades 9-12) · Dowagiac, MI

Union High School

Federal NCES profile for Union High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261215004924
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10025/100
👥 S:T ratio
22
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
49
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Union High School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.

#3 of 7
public schools in Dowagiac · Resource Index
25
Resource Index · Lower
19.5:1
large classes for Michigan
55.3%
free-lunch eligible

Union High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Union High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI.

School address

Dowagiac, MI 49047
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan

NCES ID 261215004924 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-2 students YoY

Union High School held near 530 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-2 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 26.4 → 27.3 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-2 students YoY 261215004924 · Dowagiac, MI High · MID · TRAD

507 enr · 19.5:1 · 55.3% lunch · RII 25

Nearest enrollment peer: Dowagiac Middle School (393 students)

Union High School held near 530 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-2 headcount). Teacher FTE added 26.4 → 27.3 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Michigan schools → · Find another →

Union High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Union High School reports 507 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Union High School compares

Union High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.5:1 ▲ 11% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 55.3% ▲ 2% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 507 top 25% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
55.3%
free-lunch eligible - 2% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher - 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Michigan - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.5%
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.
Funding equity
$15,351
per pupil, district-wide - above Michigan avg of $15,012
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.

Student demographics

White 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
Two or More 14.2%
African American 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Largest group: White at 57.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 59.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, Union High School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

AP program Not offered

District finance for Dowagiac Union School District reports $15,351 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Union High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Dowagiac Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Justus Gage Elementary School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Patrick Hamilton Elementary Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Kincheloe Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Sister Lakes Elementary School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Union High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Dowagiac Union School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~507 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)

Frequently asked questions about Union High School

How many students attend Union High School?

Union High School has 507 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dowagiac, MI. CCD year-over-year: 532 (2022-23) → 530 (2023-24), nearly flat (-2).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Union High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Union High School is 19.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union High School?

55.3% of students at Union High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union High School?

The largest demographic group at Union High School is White at 57.8% of enrollment, in Dowagiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Union High School?

Union High School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Union High School rank among public schools in Dowagiac?

By Resource Investment Index, Union High School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Dowagiac, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dowagiac on the city page.

What other schools are in Dowagiac Union School District?

Besides Union High School, Dowagiac Union School District also operates Dowagiac Middle School (393 students), Justus Gage Elementary School (262 students), and Patrick Hamilton Elementary (224 students). See the Dowagiac Union School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .