Enrollment
2,742
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Salinas, CA
Alisal High
Federal NCES profile for Alisal High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063398005332
👥 S:T ratio 9
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alisal High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 8
- high schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- students per teacher
- 78.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Alisal High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alisal High ranks #2 of 8 high schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Salinas Union High · California
NCES ID 063398005332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
121.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alisal High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alisal High
Alisal High is a high-poverty, large high school in Salinas, California, enrolling 2,742 students.
At 22.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,742 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 249 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Salinas's high schools, it stands alongside Salinas High (2,380 students): Alisal High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.7:1 vs 21.3:1).
Salinas Union High also operates Salinas High (2,380 students) and North Salinas High (2,106 students) alongside Alisal High.
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 Alisal High compares
Alisal High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.8% | ▲ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,742 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,742
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,795
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
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 249 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 127 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 98.0%
Asian 1.1%
White 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
African American 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.9, Alisal High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salinas Union High, which includes Alisal High.
$14,795
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 65.8%
Federal 11.0%
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 Alisal High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Salinas High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Everett Alvarez High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho San Juan High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harden Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alisal High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,380
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in Salinas
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Salinas High
Standard public school
2,380 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
North Salinas High
Standard public school
2,106 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Everett Alvarez High
Standard public school
1,978 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Rancho San Juan High
Standard public school
1,600 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Mount Toro High
Alternative education program
204 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Open Door Charter
Alternative education program
55 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,742 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alisal High's federal record.
- Compare Alisal High against another school. Compare schools
- Salinas 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 Alisal High
How many students attend Alisal High?
Alisal High has 2,742 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alisal High?
The student-teacher ratio at Alisal High is 22.7:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alisal High?
78.8% of students at Alisal High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alisal High?
The largest demographic group at Alisal High is Hispanic or Latino at 98.0% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alisal High?
Alisal High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alisal High rank among high schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, Alisal High ranks #2 of 8 high schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is Alisal High a good school?
Alisal High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Salinas Union High?
Besides Alisal High, Salinas Union High also operates Salinas High (2,380 students), North Salinas High (2,106 students), and Everett Alvarez High (1,978 students). See the Salinas 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.