Enrollment
2,065
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Raleigh, NC
Wakefield High
Federal NCES profile for Wakefield High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370472002560
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wakefield High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #9 of 14
- high schools in Raleigh · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 31.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Wakefield High has class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wakefield High ranks #9 of 14 high schools in Raleigh, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002560 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
108.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wakefield High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wakefield High
Wakefield High is a large high school in Raleigh, North Carolina, enrolling 2,065 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.1:1 is larger than about 87% of North Carolina schools and 21% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.2% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,065 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 71 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #32.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 783 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 2,065 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 32 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Raleigh's high schools, it stands alongside Enloe High (2,643 students): Wakefield High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.1:1 vs 18.5:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Wakefield High.
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 Wakefield High compares
Wakefield High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.1:1 | ▲ 21% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.2% | ▼ 53% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,065 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,065
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.6%
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
$11,859
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
388
in-school suspensions + 395 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 32 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
White 44.2%
African American 27.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.3%
Asian 4.5%
Two or More 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 44.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Wakefield High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Wakefield High.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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.
How Wakefield High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wakefield High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Raleigh
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Enloe High
Standard public school
2,643 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Millbrook High
Standard public school
2,498 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Leesville Road High
Standard public school
2,411 students 19:1 students per teacher
Athens Drive High
Standard public school
2,156 students 17:1 students per teacher
Needham Broughton High
Standard public school
2,153 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Sanderson High
Standard public school
1,648 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,065 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wakefield High's federal record.
- Compare Wakefield High against another school. Compare schools
- Wake County Schools'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 Wakefield High
How many students attend Wakefield High?
Wakefield High has 2,065 students enrolled. It is a high school in Raleigh, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wakefield High?
The student-teacher ratio at Wakefield High is 19.1:1, which is 21% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wakefield High?
31.2% of students at Wakefield High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wakefield High?
The largest demographic group at Wakefield High is White at 44.2% of enrollment, in Raleigh, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wakefield High?
Wakefield High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Wakefield High rank among high schools in Raleigh?
By Resource Investment Index, Wakefield High ranks #9 of 14 high schools in Raleigh, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Raleigh on the city page.
Is Wakefield High a good school?
Wakefield High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Wakefield High, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake County Schools 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.