Enrollment
1,375
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Waukee, IA
Waukee High School
Federal NCES profile for Waukee High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 193051001744
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waukee High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #5 of 10
- public schools in Waukee · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 21.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Waukee High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waukee High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Waukee, IA.
School address
District: Waukee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193051001744 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waukee High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waukee High School
Waukee High School is a large high school in Waukee, Iowa, enrolling 1,375 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,375 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 48 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (10%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Waukee's high schools, it stands alongside Northwest High School (1,574 students): Waukee High School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students) and South Middle School (1,092 students) alongside Waukee High School.
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 Waukee High School compares
Waukee High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.2% | ▼ 42% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,375 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,375
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Iowa - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.8%
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
$11,578
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 63.3%
African American 10.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Asian 9.0%
Two or More 7.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.6, Waukee High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waukee Comm School District, which includes Waukee High School.
$11,578
Per student
-10%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.3%
State 44.6%
Federal 6.1%
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 Waukee High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| South Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waukee Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Walnut Hills Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waukee High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,574
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,092
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar high schools in Waukee
1 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 Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,375 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waukee High School's federal record.
- Compare Waukee High School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukee 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 Waukee High School
How many students attend Waukee High School?
Waukee High School has 1,375 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waukee, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waukee High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waukee High School is 16.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waukee High School?
21.2% of students at Waukee High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waukee High School?
The largest demographic group at Waukee High School is White at 63.3% of enrollment, in Waukee, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waukee High School?
Waukee High School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Waukee High School rank among public schools in Waukee?
By Resource Investment Index, Waukee High School ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Waukee, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Waukee on the city page.
Is Waukee High School a good school?
Waukee High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Waukee Comm School District?
Besides Waukee High School, Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students), South Middle School (1,092 students), and Timberline School (992 students). See the Waukee 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.