- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
High school (grades 9-12) · Chicago, IL
Wells Community Academy Hs
Federal NCES profile for Wells Community Academy Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 170993001192
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wells Community Academy Hs earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #49 of 130
- high schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 398
- students enrolled
Wells Community Academy Hs has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wells Community Academy Hs ranks #49 of 130 high schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993001192 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 170993001192 · Chicago, IL High · SMALL · TRAD
398 enr · 13.7:1 · RII 34
Nearest enrollment peer: Lane Technical High School (4,604 students)
Resource Investment Index #49 of 130 high schools in Chicago. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Wells Community Academy Hs in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Lane Technical
Lane Technical High School
4,604 students
- Taft High Scho
Taft High School
4,487 students
- Curie Metropol
Curie Metropolitan High School
3,099 students
- Kenwood Academ
Kenwood Academy High School
2,268 students
- Young Magnet H
Young Magnet High School
2,223 students
- This school 398
Wells Community Academy Hs
398 students
What this shows Wells Community Academy Hs reports 398 students on the CCD universe file.
How Wells Community Academy Hs compares
Wells Community Academy Hs on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 2% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
398
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 52% in Illinois - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
76.1%
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
$22,699
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 49.2%
African American 37.9%
White 9.8%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Wells Community Academy Hs is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Wells Community Academy Hs.
$22,699
Per student
+25%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Wells Community Academy Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wells Community Academy Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools in Chicago
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Curie Metropolitan High School
Standard public school
3,099 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Park High School
Standard public school
2,214 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Jones College Prep High School
Standard public school
1,954 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Mather High School
Standard public school
1,777 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Thomas Kelly College Preparatory
Standard public school
1,762 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Hubbard High School
Standard public school
1,710 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~398 students)
Frequently asked questions about Wells Community Academy Hs
How many students attend Wells Community Academy Hs?
Wells Community Academy Hs has 398 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wells Community Academy Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Wells Community Academy Hs is 13.7:1, which is 2% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wells Community Academy Hs?
The largest demographic group at Wells Community Academy Hs is Hispanic or Latino at 49.2% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wells Community Academy Hs?
Wells Community Academy Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wells Community Academy Hs rank among high schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Wells Community Academy Hs ranks #49 of 130 high schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Chicago on the city page.
What other schools are in City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Wells Community Academy Hs, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 district page for the complete list.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.