Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 17 schools in district

West Aurora High School

1201 W New York St, Aurora, IL 60506Aurora West USD 129 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
3,818
Students
Total enrolled
$17,667
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 23% vs nat'l
15.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 3,818 students in grades 09–12 in Aurora, Illinois.
23% above average funding
District spends $17,667 per pupil, 23% more than the national average of $14,347.
15.5 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is near the national average of 15.4:1.
About This School

West Aurora High School is a very large high in Aurora, Illinois, serving grades 09–12 with 3,818 students. The district invests $17,667 per student — 23% above the national average of $14,347, with a 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at West Aurora High School

3,818
Total Students
15.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
41%
Free Lunch
246
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution1,905 male · 1,913 female
50%
50%
Male 50%Female 50%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility41%
National avg 52% · 1,582 students
Student Composition
22%
62%
10%
Asian2%
White22%
Hispanic / Latino62%
Black10%
Multiracial3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 170471000174

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$17,667Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$17,667
State avg
$20,102
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$7,773
Student Support$3,357
Administration$2,120
Operations$2,650
Other$1,767
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $17,667 spent per student, an estimated $7,826 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
38%
51%
State government
37.9%
Local (property tax)
51.3%
Federal programs
10.8%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $17,667/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
McCleery Elem SchoolHill Elem SchoolFreeman Elem SchoolGreenman Elem School
+6 more
↓
Middle
Washington Middle SchoolJewel Middle SchoolHerget Middle SchoolJefferson Middle School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyKane County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictAurora West USD 129 →
Phone: (630)301-5600
NCES ID: 170471000174
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Aurora seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Aurora West USD 129
Mid
Washington Middle School
657 students · 06–08
47% FRL
Mid
Jewel Middle School
585 students · 06–08
43% FRL
Mid
Herget Middle School
584 students · 06–08
45% FRL
Mid
Jefferson Middle School
584 students · 06–08
60% FRL
Elem
McCleery Elem School
569 students · PK–05
53% FRL
Elem
Hill Elem School
565 students · PK–05
55% FRL
Elem
Freeman Elem School
559 students · PK–05
35% FRL
Elem
Greenman Elem School
545 students · PK–05
56% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1201 W New York St, Aurora, IL 60506
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.