Enrollment
718
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Philadelphia, PA
West Philadelphia Hs
Federal NCES profile for West Philadelphia Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 421899003860
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Philadelphia Hs earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #54 of 57
- high schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
West Philadelphia Hs has class sizes larger than 93% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Philadelphia Hs ranks #54 of 57 high schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: Philadelphia City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421899003860 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Philadelphia Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Philadelphia Hs
West Philadelphia Hs is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 718 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Pennsylvania schools and 29% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 718 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 411 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #347, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Philadelphia's high schools, it stands alongside Northeast Hs (3,463 students): West Philadelphia Hs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 18.9:1).
Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students) and Lincoln Hs (2,472 students) alongside West Philadelphia Hs.
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 Philadelphia Hs compares
West Philadelphia Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 29% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 718 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
718
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 93% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.8%
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
$17,892
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 105 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.6 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
African American 89.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 2.1%
White 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.2, West Philadelphia Hs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Philadelphia City Sd, which includes West Philadelphia Hs.
$17,892
Per student
0%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 39.7%
Federal 23.3%
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 West Philadelphia Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Community Propel Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfair Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Philadelphia Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,472
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,329
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,783
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,763
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Northeast Hs
Standard public school
3,463 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Hs
Standard public school
2,472 students 17:1 students per teacher
Central Hs
Standard public school
2,329 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Washington George Hs
Standard public school
1,755 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Franklin Towne Chs
Standard public school
1,292 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Fels Samuel Hs
Standard public school
1,255 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~718 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Philadelphia Hs's federal record.
- Compare West Philadelphia Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Philadelphia City Sd'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 Philadelphia Hs
How many students attend West Philadelphia Hs?
West Philadelphia Hs has 718 students enrolled. It is a high school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Philadelphia Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at West Philadelphia Hs is 17.5:1, which is 29% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Philadelphia Hs?
100.0% of students at West Philadelphia Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Philadelphia Hs?
The largest demographic group at West Philadelphia Hs is African American at 89.7% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Philadelphia Hs?
West Philadelphia Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Philadelphia Hs rank among high schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, West Philadelphia Hs ranks #54 of 57 high schools in Philadelphia, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Philadelphia on the city page.
Is West Philadelphia Hs a good school?
West Philadelphia Hs earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Pennsylvania schools. 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 Philadelphia City Sd?
Besides West Philadelphia Hs, Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students), Lincoln Hs (2,472 students), and Central Hs (2,329 students). See the Philadelphia City Sd 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.