Sudents at Hogwarts?

[Phoenix15]

How many students are at Hogwarts? I would really like to know. This is my theory.

There are five four-poster beds in Harry's year dormitory. So I'm guessing the same on the girls side.

So there is seven years at Hogwarts. So 10 for each grade level times 7 equals 70.

That means there is 70 kids to a house. and 70 times 4 is 280.

So is there 280 students at Hogwarts? Doesn't seem like a lot of students for such a big school. With so few students does that mean so young wizards get let out? Or is there really so few wizards? Please, feel free to add or correct this

[Simatra]

Looks about right. you must remember, Hogwarts is like a private school. Plus, there isn't suposed to be very many wizards left.

[Phoenix15]

I understand the private school bit, but I go to a private high school and we have just over 400 students. It just seems like there would be more students in such a big castle. I mean Im sure the Hogwarts building is bigger than my small school.

[Q.Araignee]

Maybe so. But just because the area that Hogwarts covers is big, doesn't mean that it's all regularly used. There are a limited number of staff- one for each subject- thus only a limited number of students that can be taught at any one time. (Class size is optimal with between 20-30 students) Also, not every child in Britain will go to Hogwarts- some may go abroad for their education, depending on personal/family circumstance.

[GodrictheGriffon]

they're parents might even home-school them. And then in the Sixth Book it says that Harry first snogged Ginny in front of 50 people and we can assume that that was just about all of Gryffindor because they had just one the Quidditch Cup.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

How many students are at Hogwarts? I would really like to know. This is my theory.

There are five four-poster beds in Harry's year dormitory. So I'm guessing the same on the girls side.

So there is seven years at Hogwarts. So 10 for each grade level times 7 equals 70.

That means there is 70 kids to a house. and 70 times 4 is 280.

So is there 280 students at Hogwarts? Doesn't seem like a lot of students for such a big school. With so few students does that mean so young wizards get let out? Or is there really so few wizards? Please, feel free to add or correct this

your answer is a good estimate, but if you want to know the exact # i would say that's not right. you've got to remember that there will be a different # of people in each year and house. and the # of kids in each year ought to have increased after ginny's year once voldy was gone.

[Phoenix15]

It seems you found the flaw Fawkes, and I very much agree with you. I wonder what J.K.R has to say on this subject.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

your answer is a good estimate, but if you want to know the exact # i would say that's not right. you've got to remember that there will be a different # of people in each year and house. and the # of kids in each year ought to have increased after ginny's year once voldy was gone.

Very good points - basically, the numbers just can't be worked out absolutely exactly, because every new year will present a different number of Hogwarts enrollees, because you can't control the birthrate of the nation. That's the first point.

The second point I have to make is that you cannot automatically make the assumption that there are 5 students in every dormitory. This is a magical school, I'm sure there would be no issue with adding more beds, or taking them away.

And because of that, it just can't be calculated exactly.

[sweetnezzincali]

Hogwarts is like any school- the number is going to change every year. People graduate and move on while new first years come in each year, and the number of students coming in and going out of the school is not going to stay exactly the same for every class.

<3 Leia

[Liz1989]

i think that hogwarts has only a certain number of students so that the teachers can control them better(or try to control them, even though that didn't work with Moody, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs and the weasley twins).

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Surely there would be a maximum capacity? I went to a highschool that had a grand total of about 300 students. Hogwarts is supposed to be a big ol castle, so there must have been heaps and heaps there...

a very good question.. I've not come across the answer in my re readings.. yet.

[DucksRMagical]

Hogwarts is a very large castle, but remember that there is only 1 teacher for subject. At my high school, there were at least 4 or 5 teachers per subject. I think the maximum capacity would be based mostly on the amount of classes a teacher could teach than the amount of students the castle could hold.

Wow, only 300 students! My high school had 800, I think. My class was about 200.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Surely there would be a maximum capacity? I went to a highschool that had a grand total of about 300 students. Hogwarts is supposed to be a big ol castle, so there must have been heaps and heaps there...

a very good question.. I've not come across the answer in my re readings.. yet.

There would be a theoretical maximum capacity I suppose, but I think that Hogwarts would rather hire more teachers than turn away students.

[Ms. Elsewhere]

I was reading Book 1, and the first years went down for their flying lessons and there were 20 brooms waiting. So that means, 20 first year students in each house?

Also, isn't it interesting that most schools would just have one uniform, tie, scarf etc to show those students went to that school.. at Hogwarts it's different ties for each house. I reckon it's a huge school.. On many occassions Harry meets ppl he's never even seen before.

[DucksRMagical]

Well, the Gryffindors had flying lessons with the Slytherins, so that would be 10 students in each one of those house.