Northern High School

In GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, Northern High School is a high-enrollment high school. The school counted 1,088 students in 2024-25, covering grades 9 through 12. That puts enrollment 137% bigger than the 460-student average for high schools in Michigan.

In Forest Hills Public Schools, 18 schools enroll a combined 8,797 students.

More than half of enrollment at Northern High School is White: 71%. The next largest groups are 8% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 7% Black, and 6% multiracial. In Kent County overall, the White share is about 73%. The diversity index for Northern High School is 48%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.

For every teacher at Northern High School, there are about 15.5 students; the school has 70.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for high schools in Michigan, 21.6:1, is higher. There are 191 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 18% of enrollment. Among public schools in Kent County, the average eligibility rate is 47%.

In Kent County, median household income comes to about $82,631, roughly 41% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. The county's public schools total 239, with about 97,253 students.

Forest Hills Transition Center sits about 0.2 miles from Northern High School. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.

By NCES locale, the school is Suburb: Large, or in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.

In 2020-21, Northern High School enrolled 1,194 students. By 2024-25, that number had fallen to 1,088. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 21.3:1 in 2020-21 to 15.5:1 in 2024-25.

The Northern High School discussion page is a place for special education services, counseling, and support programs. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.