Enrollment
1,696
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Waterloo, IA
West High School
Federal NCES profile for West High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 193048001738
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #15 of 16
- public schools in Waterloo · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 48.4%
- free-lunch eligible
West High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West High School ranks #15 of 16 public schools in Waterloo, IA.
School address
District: Waterloo Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193048001738 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at West High School
West High School is a large high school in Waterloo, Iowa, enrolling 1,696 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.7:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 20% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,696 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 21 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #13.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 745 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,696 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Waterloo's high schools, it stands alongside East High School (1,016 students): West High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.7:1 vs 17.2:1).
Waterloo Comm School District also operates East High School (1,016 students) and Hoover Middle School (848 students) alongside West 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 West High School compares
West 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.4% | ▲ 33% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,696 | top 1% | - | - |
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.
1,696
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.4%
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
$13,803
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.3 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
452
in-school suspensions + 293 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.9 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 45.5%
African American 21.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 6.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.2, West High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterloo Comm School District, which includes West High School.
$13,803
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.0%
State 56.9%
Federal 20.1%
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 West High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hoover Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kittrell Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Expo Alternative Learning Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lowell Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar high schools in Waterloo
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 (~1,696 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West High School's federal record.
- Compare West High School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterloo 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 West High School
How many students attend West High School?
West High School has 1,696 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waterloo, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West High School is 17.7:1, which is 20% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West High School?
48.4% of students at West High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West High School?
The largest demographic group at West High School is White at 45.5% of enrollment, in Waterloo, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West High School?
West High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 West High School rank among public schools in Waterloo?
By Resource Investment Index, West High School ranks #15 of 16 public schools in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo on the city page.
Is West High School a good school?
West High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Waterloo Comm School District?
Besides West High School, Waterloo Comm School District also operates East High School (1,016 students), Hoover Middle School (848 students), and Kittrell Elementary School (576 students). See the Waterloo 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.