Enrollment
4,187
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Drexel Hill, PA
Upper Darby Shs
Federal NCES profile for Upper Darby Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422432001972
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Upper Darby Shs earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Drexel Hill · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 95.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Upper Darby Shs has class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Upper Darby Shs ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Drexel Hill, PA.
School address
District: Upper Darby Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422432001972 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
222.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
95.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Upper Darby Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Upper Darby Shs
Upper Darby Shs is a high-poverty, large high school in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, enrolling 4,187 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 97% of Pennsylvania schools and 39% 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 95.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 99% of state schools at 4,187 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 38 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Upper Darby Sd also operates Beverly Hills Ms (1,475 students) and Drexel Hill Ms (1,244 students) alongside Upper Darby Shs.
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 Upper Darby Shs compares
Upper Darby Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 39% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 95.0% | ▲ 64% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 4,187 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
4,187
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
95.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 97% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,728
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors15.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 239 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 38 expulsions.
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 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
White 14.9%
Asian 14.0%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Upper Darby Shs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Upper Darby Sd, which includes Upper Darby Shs.
$14,728
Per student
-18%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.9%
State 37.4%
Federal 12.7%
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 Upper Darby Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly Hills Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Drexel Hill Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Park El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bywood El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Upper Darby Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,244
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high 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 (~4,187 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Upper Darby Shs's federal record.
- Compare Upper Darby Shs against another school. Compare schools
- Upper Darby Sd'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 Upper Darby Shs
How many students attend Upper Darby Shs?
Upper Darby Shs has 4,187 students enrolled. It is a high school in Drexel Hill, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Upper Darby Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at Upper Darby Shs is 18.9:1, which is 39% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Upper Darby Shs?
95.0% of students at Upper Darby Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Upper Darby Shs?
The largest demographic group at Upper Darby Shs is African American at 50.8% of enrollment, in Drexel Hill, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Upper Darby Shs?
Upper Darby Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Upper Darby Shs rank among public schools in Drexel Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Upper Darby Shs ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Drexel Hill, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Drexel Hill on the city page.
Is Upper Darby Shs a good school?
Upper Darby Shs earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Upper Darby Sd?
Besides Upper Darby Shs, Upper Darby Sd also operates Beverly Hills Ms (1,475 students), Drexel Hill Ms (1,244 students), and Highland Park El Sch (737 students). See the Upper Darby Sd 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.