Enrollment
2,646
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Arlington, VA
Wakefield High
Federal NCES profile for Wakefield High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510027000111
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wakefield High earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 29.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Wakefield High has class sizes larger than 76% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wakefield High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Arlington, VA.
School address
District: Arlington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510027000111 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
171.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wakefield High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wakefield High
Wakefield High is a large high school in Arlington, Virginia, enrolling 2,646 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,646 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (25%) (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 28 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Arlington County Public Schools spends $21,782 per pupil, 49% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Arlington's high schools, it stands alongside Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students): Wakefield High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 17.8:1).
Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students) and Yorktown High (2,593 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 Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.4% | ▼ 49% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,646 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,646
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 76% in Virginia - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$21,782
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors15.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
110
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.6%
White 24.9%
African American 17.4%
Asian 6.2%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Wakefield High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 28
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington County Public Schools, which includes Wakefield High.
$21,782
Per student
+49%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 12.4%
Federal 8.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Liberty High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yorktown High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gunston Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenmore Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower 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
- 3,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,593
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar high schools in Arlington
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,646 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wakefield High's federal record.
- Compare Wakefield High against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington County Public 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 2,646 students enrolled. It is a high school in Arlington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wakefield High?
The student-teacher ratio at Wakefield High is 15.5:1, which is 12% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wakefield High?
29.4% of students at Wakefield High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wakefield High?
The largest demographic group at Wakefield High is Hispanic or Latino at 45.6% of enrollment, in Arlington, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wakefield High?
Wakefield High has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (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 Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Wakefield High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Arlington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Wakefield High a good school?
Wakefield High earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. 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 Arlington County Public Schools?
Besides Wakefield High, Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students), Yorktown High (2,593 students), and Jefferson Middle (1,120 students). See the Arlington County Public 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.