Enrollment
1,742
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 090279000585
Wilbur Cross High School — New Haven, CT
Federal NCES profile for Wilbur Cross High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 49
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: New Haven School District · Connecticut
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
129.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilbur Cross High School compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Wilbur Cross High School reports 1,742 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 129.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% above the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 20% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 67.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 85% above the Connecticut average and 30% above the national baseline. The school offers 15 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 249 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding New Haven School District spends $24,808 per pupil district-wide, below the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.2% from local sources (property taxes), 56.9% from the state, and 13.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Wilbur Cross High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Connecticut state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 85% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,742 | top 99% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 85% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 70% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
42.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$24,808
per pupil, district-wide
— below Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 249 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 220 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,742 Top 99% in Connecticut — larger than 1% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 129.0
Students per teacher 12.7:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 67.4% +85% vs state
NCES ID 090279000585
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 66.7%
African American 19.1%
White 9.0%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 7.0
Students per counselor 249:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.1%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 220
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Haven School District, which includes Wilbur Cross High School.
$24,808
Per student
-12%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 56.9%
Federal 13.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
Similar high schools in New Haven
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
James Hillhouse High School
Standard public school
1,124 students 15:1 students per teacher
Hill Regional Career High School
Standard public school
625 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Cooperative High School - Inter-District Magnet
Standard public school
560 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Metropolitan Business Academy
Standard public school
380 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Sound School
Standard public school
332 students 8.8:1 students per teacher
New Haven Academy
Standard public school
321 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Wilbur Cross High School
How many students attend Wilbur Cross High School?
Wilbur Cross High School has 1,742 students enrolled. It is a high school in New Haven, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilbur Cross High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilbur Cross High School is 12.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilbur Cross High School?
67.4% of students at Wilbur Cross High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilbur Cross High School?
The largest demographic group at Wilbur Cross High School is Hispanic or Latino at 66.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in New Haven, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilbur Cross High School?
Wilbur Cross High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.