Compton Unified

Compton, California — 35 schools

17,437
Total Enrollment
35
Schools
$17,668
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Compton Unified operates 35 public schools serving 17,437 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 21 elementary, 6 middle, 5 high, 3 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 16,300 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Los Angeles County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,668 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 15.5% local, 70.8% state, and 13.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $77,486 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 56/100, ranked #605 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 35 schools offering Advanced Placement (52 AP courses district-wide), a 236.4:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 41.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% African American, 0.4% White across the district's schools.

Compton Unified school enrollment varies 396× across entities

Compton Unified school enrollment ranges from 4 students (lowest) to 1,582 students (highest), a spread of 1,578 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Compton Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.4% 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 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Compton Unified student-counselor ratio is 236:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Compton Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 41.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.8%
Federal
70.8%
State
15.5%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
605 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Los Angeles County county, where this district is located.

$1,863
Studio/mo
$2,085
1 BR/mo
$2,601
2 BR/mo
$3,298
3 BR/mo
$3,672
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$77,486
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 35 schools in Compton Unified.

Hispanic or Latino 81.1%
African American 16.6%
Multiracial 1.1%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

4 / 35
Schools with AP
52 AP courses total
236.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Compton Unified

School Enrollment
Dominguez High
1,582
Compton High
1,438
Centennial High
908
Clinton William Jefferson
692
Kelly Elementary
685
Dickison Elementary
681
Jefferson Elementary
642
Robert F. Kennedy Elementary
610
Compton Early College High
556
Tibby Elementary
554
Emerson Elementary
544
Roosevelt Elementary
534
Davis Middle
520
Rosecrans Elementary
459
Anderson Elementary
451
Longfellow Elementary
450
Mayo Elementary
440
Whaley Middle
429
Foster Elementary
398
Laurel Street Elementary
377
Bursch Elementary
370
Ronald E. Mcnair Elementary
358
Martin Luther King Elementary
336
Mckinley Elementary
331
Willowbrook Middle
304
Carver Elementary
293
Bunche Middle
286
Washington Elementary
268
Cesar Chavez Continuation High
263
Ralph Bunche Elementary
217
Enterprise Middle
182
Walton Middle
72
Thurgood Marshall
51
Compton Step
15
Compton Virtual Academy
4

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
Compare vs Compton Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
Compare vs Compton Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
Compare vs Compton Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
Compare vs Compton Unified →

Compare Compton Unified

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Compton Unified?

Compton Unified has 35 schools, including 5 high, 21 elementary, 6 middle, 3 other. Total enrollment is 17,437 students.

How much does Compton Unified spend per student?

Compton Unified spends $17,668 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #605 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Compton Unified?

The average teacher salary in Compton Unified is $77,486 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Compton Unified?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Los Angeles County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Compton Unified?

Compton Unified students are 81.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% African American, 0.4% White, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 35 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Compton Unified?

Compton Unified has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #605 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

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Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.