Enrollment
596
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Berkeley, CA
Willard Middle
Federal NCES profile for Willard Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060474007267
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 70
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willard Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Berkeley · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.1:1
- small classes for California
- 19.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Willard Middle has class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Berkeley, CA.
School address
District: Berkeley Unified · California
NCES ID 060474007267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willard Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willard Middle
Willard Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Berkeley, California, enrolling 596 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.1:1, Willard Middle is leaner than roughly 86% of California schools and 25% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.1% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the California average.
Enrollment of 596 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,311 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #45, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 149 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Berkeley Unified spends $21,454 per pupil, 30% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Berkeley's middle schools, it stands alongside Martin Luther King Middle (851 students): Willard Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 17.4:1).
Berkeley Unified also operates Berkeley High (3,218 students) and Martin Luther King Middle (851 students) alongside Willard Middle.
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 Willard Middle compares
Willard Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▼ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.1% | ▼ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 596 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
596
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in California - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$21,454
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 149 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 44.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Two or More 14.6%
Asian 10.7%
African American 10.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.7, Willard Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Berkeley Unified, which includes Willard Middle.
$21,454
Per student
+30%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.6%
State 29.0%
Federal 6.4%
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 Willard Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Malcolm X Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Arts and Technology Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruth Acty Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willard Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,218
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Berkeley
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~596 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willard Middle's federal record.
- Compare Willard Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Berkeley Unified'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 Willard Middle
How many students attend Willard Middle?
Willard Middle has 596 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Berkeley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willard Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Willard Middle is 16.1:1, which is 25% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willard Middle?
19.1% of students at Willard Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willard Middle?
The largest demographic group at Willard Middle is White at 44.9% of enrollment, in Berkeley, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willard Middle?
Willard Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Willard Middle rank among middle schools in Berkeley?
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Berkeley, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Berkeley on the city page.
Is Willard Middle a good school?
Willard Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Berkeley Unified?
Besides Willard Middle, Berkeley Unified also operates Berkeley High (3,218 students), Martin Luther King Middle (851 students), and Malcolm X Elementary (469 students). See the Berkeley Unified 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.