Enrollment
380
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Des Moines, IA
Virtual Campus
Federal NCES profile for Virtual Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190897002268
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Virtual Campus earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 14
- schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 72.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Virtual Campus has class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Virtual Campus ranks #1 of 14 schools in Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: Des Moines Independent Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190897002268 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+98% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virtual Campus compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Virtual Campus
Virtual Campus is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 380 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10:1, Virtual Campus is leaner than roughly 93% of Iowa schools and 32% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 72.0% of students qualify for free meals, 98% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 380 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 93 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 136 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among Des Moines's public schools, it stands alongside Cornell Elementary School (555 students): Virtual Campus is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10:1 vs 14.6:1).
Des Moines Independent Comm School District also operates Lincoln High School (2,364 students) and Roosevelt High School (2,051 students) alongside Virtual Campus.
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 Virtual Campus compares
Virtual Campus on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10:1 | ▼ 32% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.0% | ▲ 98% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 98% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
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
10:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 7% in Iowa - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,308
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 136 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 47.0%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
African American 13.5%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 47.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Virtual Campus is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which includes Virtual Campus.
$14,308
Per student
+11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.2%
Federal 14.4%
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 Virtual Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Virtual Campus's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 31.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Des Moines
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornell Elementary School
Standard public school
555 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Clive Learning Academy
Standard public school
551 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Capitol View Elementary School
Standard public school
533 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary School
Standard public school
465 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Delaware Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Cowles Elementary School
Standard public school
392 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~380 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Virtual Campus's federal record.
- Compare Virtual Campus against another school. Compare schools
- Des Moines Independent 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 Virtual Campus
How many students attend Virtual Campus?
Virtual Campus has 380 students enrolled. It is a public school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virtual Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Virtual Campus is 10:1, which is 32% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 36% 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 Virtual Campus?
72.0% of students at Virtual Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virtual Campus?
The largest demographic group at Virtual Campus is White at 47.0% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virtual Campus?
Virtual Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Virtual Campus rank among schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Virtual Campus ranks #1 of 14 schools in Des Moines, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Des Moines on the city page.
Is Virtual Campus a good school?
Virtual Campus earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa 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 Des Moines Independent Comm School District?
Besides Virtual Campus, Des Moines Independent Comm School District also operates Lincoln High School (2,364 students), Roosevelt High School (2,051 students), and East High School (1,952 students). See the Des Moines Independent 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.