Enrollment
609
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
University Academy-Lower
Federal NCES profile for University Academy-Lower, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 290002702915Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
University Academy-Lower earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools.
- #11 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
University Academy-Lower has class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, University Academy-Lower ranks #11 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: University Academy · Missouri
NCES ID 290002702915 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How University Academy-Lower compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at University Academy-Lower
University Academy-Lower is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 609 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 116% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 609 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 118 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 124 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 609 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kansas City's public schools, it stands alongside Frontier School of Innovation (645 students): University Academy-Lower is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.9:1 vs 11.1:1).
University Academy also operates University Academy-Middle (265 students) and University Academy-Upper (237 students) alongside University Academy-Lower.
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 University Academy-Lower compares
University Academy-Lower on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 116% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 609 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
609
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 116% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Missouri - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,961
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.6 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 93.6%
White 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, University Academy-Lower is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for University Academy, which includes University Academy-Lower.
$13,961
Per student
+8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.2%
State 56.2%
Federal 25.6%
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 University Academy-Lower Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Academy-Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| University Academy-Upper | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to University Academy-Lower's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Kansas City
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~609 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on University Academy-Lower's federal record.
- Compare University Academy-Lower against another school. Compare schools
- University 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 University Academy-Lower
How many students attend University Academy-Lower?
University Academy-Lower has 609 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Academy-Lower?
The student-teacher ratio at University Academy-Lower is 14.9:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at University Academy-Lower?
99.5% of students at University Academy-Lower are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Academy-Lower?
The largest demographic group at University Academy-Lower is African American at 93.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for University Academy-Lower?
University Academy-Lower has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 University Academy-Lower rank among schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, University Academy-Lower ranks #11 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is University Academy-Lower a good school?
University Academy-Lower earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri 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 University Academy?
Besides University Academy-Lower, University Academy also operates University Academy-Middle (265 students) and University Academy-Upper (237 students). See the University 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.