Enrollment
623
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Irving, TX
Universal Academy
Federal NCES profile for Universal Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480007007850Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Universal Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #10 of 32
- schools in Irving · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Universal Academy has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Academy ranks #10 of 32 schools in Irving, TX.
School address
District: Universal Academy · Texas
NCES ID 480007007850 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Universal Academy compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Universal Academy
Universal Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Irving, Texas, enrolling 623 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 623 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 2,148 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #870.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 623 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Universal Academy spends $8,799 per pupil, 36% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Its district, Universal Academy, also runs Universal Academy - Coppell (1,302 students).
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 Universal Academy compares
Universal Academy on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 23% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 623 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
623
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 40% in Texas - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$8,799
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 623 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Hispanic or Latino 65.0%
African American 25.4%
Asian 4.8%
White 2.1%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Universal Academy is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Universal Academy, which includes Universal Academy.
$8,799
Per student
-36%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.6%
State 85.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Universal Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Academy - Coppell | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Universal Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,302
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~623 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Universal Academy's federal record.
- Compare Universal Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Universal Academy'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 Universal Academy
How many students attend Universal Academy?
Universal Academy has 623 students enrolled. It is a public school in Irving, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Universal Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Universal Academy is 13.5:1, which is 8% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 14% 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 Universal Academy?
76.3% of students at Universal Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Universal Academy?
The largest demographic group at Universal Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 65.0% of enrollment, in Irving, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Universal Academy?
Universal Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Universal Academy rank among schools in Irving?
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Academy ranks #10 of 32 schools in Irving, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Irving on the city page.
Is Universal Academy a good school?
Universal Academy earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas 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 Universal Academy?
Besides Universal Academy, Universal Academy also operates Universal Academy - Coppell (1,302 students). See the Universal Academy 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.