Enrollment
1,480
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ambler, PA
Wissahickon Shs
Federal NCES profile for Wissahickon Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 420240003247
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wissahickon Shs earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Ambler · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 22.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Wissahickon Shs has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wissahickon Shs ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ambler, PA.
School address
District: Wissahickon Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420240003247 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
113.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wissahickon Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wissahickon Shs
Wissahickon Shs is a large high school in Ambler, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,480 students.
At 13.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.5% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Pennsylvania average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,480 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 150 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Asian (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 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 Wissahickon Sd spends $21,711 per pupil, 21% above the Pennsylvania average, a better-resourced district than most.
Wissahickon Sd also operates Wissahickon Ms (1,208 students) and Shady Grove El Sch (698 students) alongside Wissahickon Shs.
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 Wissahickon Shs compares
Wissahickon Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.5% | ▼ 61% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,480 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,480
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 46% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
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
$21,711
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 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 55.2%
Asian 17.3%
African American 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 6.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, Wissahickon Shs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wissahickon Sd, which includes Wissahickon Shs.
$21,711
Per student
+21%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.9%
State 18.0%
Federal 3.1%
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 Wissahickon Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wissahickon Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shady Grove El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stony Creek El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lower Gwynedd El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Bell El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wissahickon Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 698
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~1,480 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wissahickon Shs's federal record.
- Compare Wissahickon Shs against another school. Compare schools
- Wissahickon 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 Wissahickon Shs
How many students attend Wissahickon Shs?
Wissahickon Shs has 1,480 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ambler, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wissahickon Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at Wissahickon Shs is 13.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 17% lower 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 Wissahickon Shs?
22.5% of students at Wissahickon Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wissahickon Shs?
The largest demographic group at Wissahickon Shs is White at 55.2% of enrollment, in Ambler, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wissahickon Shs?
Wissahickon Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (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 Wissahickon Shs rank among public schools in Ambler?
By Resource Investment Index, Wissahickon Shs ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ambler, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ambler on the city page.
Is Wissahickon Shs a good school?
Wissahickon Shs earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Wissahickon Sd?
Besides Wissahickon Shs, Wissahickon Sd also operates Wissahickon Ms (1,208 students), Shady Grove El Sch (698 students), and Stony Creek El Sch (643 students). See the Wissahickon 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.