Enrollment
507
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
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 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 261215004924
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 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 22/100 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
- 22
- 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
District: Dowagiac Union School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261215004924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union High School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union High School
Union High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Dowagiac, Michigan, enrolling 507 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.3% lands close to the Michigan typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 507 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 611 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #273.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Dowagiac Union School District also operates Dowagiac Middle School (393 students) and Justus Gage Elementary School (262 students) alongside Union 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 Union High School compares
Union High School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$14,021
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dowagiac Union School District, which includes Union High School.
$14,021
Per student
+4%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 21.7%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~507 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union High School's federal record.
- Compare Union High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dowagiac Union 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 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.
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 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Union High School a good school?
Union High School earns 22/100 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. 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 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.
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.