Enrollment
2,410
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Union, NJ
Union High School
Federal NCES profile for Union High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341650005742
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in Union · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 24.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Union High School has class sizes larger than 89% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union High School ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Union, NJ.
School address
District: Township of Union School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341650005742 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
166.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.3%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union High School
Union High School is a large high school in Union, New Jersey, enrolling 2,410 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.5:1 is larger than about 89% of New Jersey schools and 23% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 24.3% lands close to the New Jersey typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,410 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 37 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #26.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 161 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 492 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,410 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Township of Union School District also operates Burnet Middle School (970 students) and Hannah Caldwell Elementary (812 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 New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.3% | ▼ 18% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,410 | top 1% | - | - |
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.
2,410
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 89% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$21,117
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors15.0 FTE
Per 161 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
311
in-school suspensions + 181 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.4 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
African American 44.7%
Hispanic or Latino 30.2%
White 13.4%
Asian 8.5%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Union High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Township of Union School District, which includes Union High School.
$21,117
Per student
-15%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 38.9%
Federal 8.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnet Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hannah Caldwell Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kawameeh Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 970
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,410 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union High School's federal record.
- Compare Union High School against another school. Compare schools
- Township of 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 2,410 students enrolled. It is a high school in Union, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union High School is 14.5:1, which is 23% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union High School?
24.3% of students at Union High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union High School?
The largest demographic group at Union High School is African American at 44.7% of enrollment, in Union, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union High School?
Union High School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Union High School rank among public schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Union High School ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Union, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Union on the city page.
Is Union High School a good school?
Union High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey. 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 Township of Union School District?
Besides Union High School, Township of Union School District also operates Burnet Middle School (970 students), Hannah Caldwell Elementary (812 students), and Kawameeh Middle School (729 students). See the Township of 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.