12 public K-12 schools in North Highlands from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
12 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of North Highlands's 12 public schools is Highlands High, scoring 29/100, against a city average of 21.8/100. Computed live across every North Highlands campus reporting to NCES.
How the North Highlands Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
North Highlands, CA enrolls 5,298 students across 12 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 1 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 20.9:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 21.8/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in North Highlands on this index is Highlands High, at 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 778 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
North Highlands spans 1 district, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
North Highlands school enrollment varies 11× across entities
North Highlands school enrollment ranges from 69 students (lowest) to 778 students (highest), a spread of 709 students. That spread reflects typical urban portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
North Highlands has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 77.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
North Highlands operates only 1 school district — one of the single most consolidated governance structures in the country
Most North Highlands school districts are a single unified district covering the whole city, a structural feature that simplifies inter-school comparison but concentrates policy authority, and the count here is near the floor observed nationally. Consolidation produces narrower variance because resources pool across a large population, but it can also mask intra-school district inequities — sub-school district differences within a single school district are not visible at this aggregation level. Consolidated systems typically rely more heavily on top-down funding formulas than on local revenue variability.
North Highlands student-teacher ratio is 20.9:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in North Highlands
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
What are the best schools in North Highlands, CA? ▼
The highest-ranked school in North Highlands is Highlands High with a quality score of 29/100. There are 12 public schools in North Highlands with 5,298 total students.
How many schools are in North Highlands, CA? ▼
North Highlands has 12 public schools with a total enrollment of 5,298 students. 1 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 20.9:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
