Elementary school (grades K-5) · Detroit, MI

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary

Federal NCES profile for University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260095607836Charter school
0/100100/10023/100
👥 S:T ratio
38
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.

#11 of 31
elementary schools in Detroit · Resource Index
23
Resource Index · Lower
15.6:1
students per teacher
72.5%
free-lunch eligible

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary ranks #11 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI.

Enrollment

467

Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

30.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.6:1

vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg

-11% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

72.5%

vs 54.3% Michigan avg

+34% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary compares with Michigan and U.S. medians

At or below state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, enrolling 467 students.

Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.5% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 467 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.

Against 478 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #239.

Its student body is predominantly African American (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Among Detroit's elementary schools, it stands alongside Voyageur Academy (789 students): University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 25.5:1).

University Preparatory Academy (Psad) also operates University Preparatory Academy Psad High School (559 students) and University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary (438 students) alongside University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary.

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 Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary compares

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Michigan Michigan avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.6:1 ▼ 11% 17.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 72.5% ▲ 34% 54.3% 51.7%
Enrollment 467 top 30% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
467
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
72.5%
free-lunch eligible - 34% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher - 11% below state mean
Top 38% in Michigan - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
56.1%
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
$12,017
per pupil, district-wide - below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 98.7%
Two or More 0.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
White 0.2%

Largest group: African American at 98.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 2.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 2.6, University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary is less mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for University Preparatory Academy (Psad), which includes University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary.

$12,017
Per student
-11%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.6%
State 76.0%
Federal 20.4%

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 University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
University Preparatory Academy Psad High School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary Similar size Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
University Preparatory Academy Psad Middle Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

University Preparatory Academy (Psad) · 3 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Detroit

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Similar elementary schools statewide

Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary's federal record.

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 Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary

How many students attend University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary?

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary has 467 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Detroit, MI.

What is the student-teacher ratio at University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 11% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 1% 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 University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary?

72.5% of students at University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary?

The largest demographic group at University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary is African American at 98.7% of enrollment, in Detroit, MI.

What is the Resource Investment Index for University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary?

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary rank among elementary schools in Detroit?

By Resource Investment Index, University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary ranks #11 of 31 elementary schools in Detroit, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Detroit on the city page.

Is University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary a good school?

University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Preparatory Academy (Psad)?

Besides University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary, University Preparatory Academy (Psad) also operates University Preparatory Academy Psad High School (559 students), University Preparatory Academy Psad Elementary (438 students), and University Preparatory Academy Psad Middle (384 students). See the University Preparatory Academy (Psad) district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.