Enrollment
597
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Philadelphia, PA
Universal Institute Cs
Federal NCES profile for Universal Institute Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420005500495Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Universal Institute Cs earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #106 of 106
- schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.6:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 78.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Universal Institute Cs has class sizes larger than 98% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Institute Cs ranks #106 of 106 schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: Universal Institute Cs · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420005500495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Universal Institute Cs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Universal Institute Cs
Universal Institute Cs is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 597 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.6:1 is larger than about 98% of Pennsylvania schools and 51% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 597 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 99 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #98, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 597 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Universal Institute Cs spends $21,617 per pupil, 20% above the Pennsylvania average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 44.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 144 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 597 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Philadelphia's public schools, it stands alongside Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs (2,572 students): Universal Institute Cs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.6:1 vs 15.5:1).
Universal Institute Cs is a single-school charter district, so Universal Institute Cs operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Institute Cs compares
Universal Institute Cs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.6:1 | ▲ 51% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.3% | ▲ 35% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 597 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
597
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 98% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
43.0%
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
$21,617
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 597 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.1 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 93.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
White 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 93.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.1, Universal Institute Cs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Universal Institute Cs, which includes Universal Institute Cs.
$21,617
Per student
+20%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.3%
State 1.6%
Federal 44.1%
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.
Similar other schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs
Standard public school
2,572 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Ii
Standard public school
1,875 students 16:1 students per teacher
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs
Standard public school
1,831 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Academy Cs
Standard public school
1,637 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Frank Anne Sch
Standard public school
1,622 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
New Foundations Cs
Standard public school
1,529 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~597 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Universal Institute Cs's federal record.
- Compare Universal Institute Cs against another school. Compare schools
- Universal Institute Cs'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 Institute Cs
How many students attend Universal Institute Cs?
Universal Institute Cs has 597 students enrolled. It is a public school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Universal Institute Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at Universal Institute Cs is 20.6:1, which is 51% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Universal Institute Cs?
78.3% of students at Universal Institute Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Universal Institute Cs?
The largest demographic group at Universal Institute Cs is African American at 93.1% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Universal Institute Cs?
Universal Institute Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (lower 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 Institute Cs rank among schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Institute Cs ranks #106 of 106 schools in Philadelphia, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Philadelphia on the city page.
Is Universal Institute Cs a good school?
Universal Institute Cs earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Pennsylvania 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 Universal Institute Cs?
None; Universal Institute Cs is a single-school charter district, and Universal Institute Cs is its only campus.
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.