Enrollment
2,563
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Aliso Viejo, CA
Aliso Niguel High
Federal NCES profile for Aliso Niguel High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060744002328
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aliso Niguel High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Aliso Viejo · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 22.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Aliso Niguel High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aliso Niguel High ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Aliso Viejo, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744002328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
114.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aliso Niguel High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aliso Niguel High
Aliso Niguel High is a large high school in Aliso Viejo, California, enrolling 2,563 students.
At 22.5:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.5% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,563 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #92.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 427 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Aliso Niguel 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 Aliso Niguel High compares
Aliso Niguel 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.5% | ▼ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,563 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,563
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.6%
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
$14,421
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
White 49.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.6%
Asian 17.4%
Two or More 10.5%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Aliso Niguel High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Aliso Niguel High.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Aliso Niguel High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dana Hills High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aliso Niguel High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,725
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~2,563 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aliso Niguel High's federal record.
- Compare Aliso Niguel High against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano Unified'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 Aliso Niguel High
How many students attend Aliso Niguel High?
Aliso Niguel High has 2,563 students enrolled. It is a high school in Aliso Viejo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aliso Niguel High?
The student-teacher ratio at Aliso Niguel High is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aliso Niguel High?
22.5% of students at Aliso Niguel High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aliso Niguel High?
The largest demographic group at Aliso Niguel High is White at 49.3% of enrollment, in Aliso Viejo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aliso Niguel High?
Aliso Niguel High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Aliso Niguel High rank among public schools in Aliso Viejo?
By Resource Investment Index, Aliso Niguel High ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Aliso Viejo, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Aliso Viejo on the city page.
Is Aliso Niguel High a good school?
Aliso Niguel High earns 48/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Aliso Niguel High, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Tesoro High (2,030 students). See the Capistrano Unified 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.