Enrollment
609
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 290002702915 Charter school
University Academy-Lower — Kansas City, MO
Federal NCES profile for University Academy-Lower, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 78
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: University Academy · Missouri
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 12.9:1 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
University Academy-Lower reports 609 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 41.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 116% above the Missouri average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 305 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 8.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding University Academy spends $16,454 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 18.2% from local sources (property taxes), 56.2% from the state, and 25.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How University Academy-Lower compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 116% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 609 | top 86% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 116% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
— 16% above state mean
Top 80% in Missouri — lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
8.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$16,454
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
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
Enrollment 609 Top 86% in Missouri — larger than 14% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 41.0
Students per teacher 15:1 +16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.5% +116% vs state
NCES ID 290002702915
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 305:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 8.7%
In-school suspensions 101
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for University Academy, which includes University Academy-Lower.
$16,454
Per student
+8%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
Similar other schools in Kansas City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Guadalupe Centers Elementary
Standard public school
801 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
M. L. King Elementary
Standard public school
768 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Gracemor Elementary
Standard public school
684 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts
Standard public school
669 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Kipp Endeavor Academy
Standard public school
665 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Kc International-Wallace
Standard public school
662 students 7.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about University Academy-Lower
How many students attend University Academy-Lower?
University Academy-Lower has 609 students enrolled. It is a other school in KANSAS CITY, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at University Academy-Lower?
The student-teacher ratio at University Academy-Lower is 15:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.