Enrollment
3,016
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bethesda, MD
Walter Johnson High
Federal NCES profile for Walter Johnson High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240048000942
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter Johnson High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Bethesda · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 16.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter Johnson High has class sizes larger than 94% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Johnson High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Bethesda, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000942 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
158.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.5%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter Johnson High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter Johnson High
Walter Johnson High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Bethesda, Maryland, enrolling 3,016 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.1:1 is larger than about 94% of Maryland schools and 32% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.5% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Maryland average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,016 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 72/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 32 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Bethesda's high schools, it stands alongside Bethesda-Chevy Chase High (2,377 students): Walter Johnson High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.1:1 vs 18.3:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Wheaton High (2,794 students) alongside Walter Johnson 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 Walter Johnson High compares
Walter Johnson 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 32% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.5% | ▼ 66% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,016 | 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.
3,016
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 94% in Maryland - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors11.5 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 44.7%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
African American 15.9%
Asian 13.0%
Two or More 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.7, Walter Johnson High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 32
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Walter Johnson 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 Walter Johnson High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Similar size | 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 |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter Johnson 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
- 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
- Enrollment
- 2,377
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~3,016 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter Johnson High's federal record.
- Compare Walter Johnson 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 Walter Johnson High
How many students attend Walter Johnson High?
Walter Johnson High has 3,016 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bethesda, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter Johnson High?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter Johnson High is 19.1:1, which is 32% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walter Johnson High?
16.5% of students at Walter Johnson High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter Johnson High?
The largest demographic group at Walter Johnson High is White at 44.7% of enrollment, in Bethesda, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter Johnson High?
Walter Johnson High has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Walter Johnson High rank among high schools in Bethesda?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Johnson High ranks #2 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 Walter Johnson High a good school?
Walter Johnson High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Walter Johnson High, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Wheaton High (2,794 students), and Gaithersburg High (2,441 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.