Enrollment
2,056
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bethesda, MD
Walt Whitman High
Federal NCES profile for Walt Whitman 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 240048000941
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walt Whitman High earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Bethesda · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.7:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 5.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Walt Whitman High has class sizes larger than 87% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walt Whitman High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bethesda, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000941 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
116.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.0%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walt Whitman High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walt Whitman High
Walt Whitman High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Bethesda, Maryland, enrolling 2,056 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.7:1 is larger than about 87% of Maryland schools and 22% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.0% free-meal eligibility runs 90% below the Maryland average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,056 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 25 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Asian (16%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 29 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Bethesda's high schools, it stands alongside Walter Johnson High (3,016 students): Walt Whitman High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 19.1:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Walt Whitman 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 Walt Whitman High compares
Walt Whitman High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.0% | ▼ 90% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,056 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,056
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 90% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in Maryland - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,101
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 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 56.8%
Asian 16.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 8.5%
African American 5.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 56.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Walt Whitman High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 29
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Walt Whitman High.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Walt Whitman High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walt Whitman High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Bethesda
2 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 Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,056 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walt Whitman High's federal record.
- Compare Walt Whitman High against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 Walt Whitman High
How many students attend Walt Whitman High?
Walt Whitman High has 2,056 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bethesda, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walt Whitman High?
The student-teacher ratio at Walt Whitman High is 17.7:1, which is 22% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walt Whitman High?
5.0% of students at Walt Whitman High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walt Whitman High?
The largest demographic group at Walt Whitman High is White at 56.8% of enrollment, in Bethesda, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walt Whitman High?
Walt Whitman 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 Walt Whitman High rank among high schools in Bethesda?
By Resource Investment Index, Walt Whitman High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Bethesda, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bethesda on the city page.
Is Walt Whitman High a good school?
Walt Whitman High earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Walt Whitman High, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery 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.