Enrollment
2,794
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Silver Spring, MD
Wheaton High
Federal NCES profile for Wheaton High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240048000951
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wheaton High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in Silver Spring · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 56.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wheaton High has class sizes larger than 88% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wheaton High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000951 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
157.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wheaton High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wheaton High
Wheaton High is a higher-need, large high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, enrolling 2,794 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 88% of Maryland schools and 23% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.1% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,794 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #17.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Silver Spring's high schools, it stands alongside Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students): Wheaton High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 17:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Wheaton 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 Wheaton High compares
Wheaton 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 23% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.1% | ▲ 14% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,794 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,794
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 88% in Maryland - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$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
Counselors9.6 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 59.4%
African American 19.2%
White 9.6%
Asian 9.2%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Wheaton High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Wheaton 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 Wheaton High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wheaton 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
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- 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 Silver Spring
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Montgomery Blair High
Standard public school
3,266 students 17:1 students per teacher
James Hubert Blake High
Standard public school
1,960 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
John F. Kennedy High
Standard public school
1,880 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Springbrook High
Standard public school
1,838 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Northwood High
Standard public school
1,654 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,794 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wheaton High's federal record.
- Compare Wheaton 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 Wheaton High
How many students attend Wheaton High?
Wheaton High has 2,794 students enrolled. It is a high school in Silver Spring, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wheaton High?
The student-teacher ratio at Wheaton High is 17.8:1, which is 23% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wheaton High?
56.1% of students at Wheaton High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wheaton High?
The largest demographic group at Wheaton High is Hispanic or Latino at 59.4% of enrollment, in Silver Spring, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wheaton High?
Wheaton High has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Wheaton High rank among high schools in Silver Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Wheaton High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Silver Spring, 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 Silver Spring on the city page.
Is Wheaton High a good school?
Wheaton High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Wheaton High, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 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.