Enrollment
385
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santa Clarita, CA
Academy of the Canyons
Federal NCES profile for Academy of the Canyons, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 064251008517
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy of the Canyons earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Santa Clarita · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.5:1
- large classes for California
- 12.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy of the Canyons has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy of the Canyons ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Santa Clarita, CA.
School address
District: William S. Hart Union High · California
NCES ID 064251008517 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy of the Canyons compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy of the Canyons
Academy of the Canyons is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Santa Clarita, California, enrolling 385 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.5:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.1% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the California average.
With 385 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 712 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #310.
Its student body is led by Asian (44%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 385 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Santa Clarita's high schools, it stands alongside Golden Valley High (1,980 students): Academy of the Canyons is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.5:1 vs 22:1).
William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students) and Valencia High (2,286 students) alongside Academy of the Canyons.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy of the Canyons compares
Academy of the Canyons on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.5:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.1% | ▼ 78% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 385 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.5:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
385
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,012
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 385 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Asian 43.6%
White 27.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 43.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Academy of the Canyons is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William S. Hart Union High, which includes Academy of the Canyons.
$14,012
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 59.6%
Federal 11.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Academy of the Canyons Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valencia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Canyon High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William S. Hart High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy of the Canyons's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,286
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Santa Clarita
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~385 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy of the Canyons's federal record.
- Compare Academy of the Canyons against another school. Compare schools
- William S. Hart Union High's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Academy of the Canyons
How many students attend Academy of the Canyons?
Academy of the Canyons has 385 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santa Clarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy of the Canyons?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy of the Canyons is 27.5:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy of the Canyons?
12.1% of students at Academy of the Canyons are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy of the Canyons?
The largest demographic group at Academy of the Canyons is Asian at 43.6% of enrollment, in Santa Clarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy of the Canyons?
Academy of the Canyons has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Academy of the Canyons rank among high schools in Santa Clarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy of the Canyons ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Santa Clarita, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Santa Clarita on the city page.
Is Academy of the Canyons a good school?
Academy of the Canyons earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in William S. Hart Union High?
Besides Academy of the Canyons, William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students), Valencia High (2,286 students), and Golden Valley High (1,980 students). See the William S. Hart Union High district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.