Enrollment
1,301
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Urbandale, IA
Urbandale High School
Federal NCES profile for Urbandale High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192868001659
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Urbandale High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Urbandale · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 30.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Urbandale High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Urbandale High School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Urbandale, IA.
School address
District: Urbandale Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192868001659 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Urbandale High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Urbandale High School
Urbandale High School is a large high school in Urbandale, Iowa, enrolling 1,301 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.4% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,301 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale Middle School (892 students) and Olmsted Elementary School (622 students) alongside Urbandale High School.
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 Urbandale High School compares
Urbandale High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.4% | ▼ 16% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,301 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,301
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Iowa - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.7%
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
$12,327
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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
White 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
African American 9.0%
Asian 6.8%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Urbandale High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Urbandale Comm School District, which includes Urbandale High School.
$12,327
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 37.5%
Federal 8.5%
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 Urbandale High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urbandale Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olmsted Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Karen Acres Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valerius Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Urbandale High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,301 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Urbandale High School's federal record.
- Compare Urbandale High School against another school. Compare schools
- Urbandale Comm School District'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 Urbandale High School
How many students attend Urbandale High School?
Urbandale High School has 1,301 students enrolled. It is a high school in Urbandale, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Urbandale High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Urbandale High School is 14.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 9% 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 Urbandale High School?
30.4% of students at Urbandale High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Urbandale High School?
The largest demographic group at Urbandale High School is White at 62.8% of enrollment, in Urbandale, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Urbandale High School?
Urbandale High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Urbandale High School rank among public schools in Urbandale?
By Resource Investment Index, Urbandale High School ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Urbandale, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Urbandale on the city page.
Is Urbandale High School a good school?
Urbandale High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Urbandale Comm School District?
Besides Urbandale High School, Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale Middle School (892 students), Olmsted Elementary School (622 students), and Webster Elementary School (519 students). See the Urbandale Comm School District 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.