High school (grades 9-12) · Ames, IA

Ames High School

Federal NCES profile for Ames High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190354000050
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10034/100
👥 S:T ratio
31
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
35
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Ames High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.

#7 of 8
public schools in Ames · Resource Index
34
Resource Index · Typical
17.3:1
large classes for Iowa
26.3%
free-lunch eligible

Ames High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Ames High School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Ames, IA.

School address

Ames, IA 50010
District: Ames Comm School District · Iowa

NCES ID 190354000050 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+24 students YoY

Ames High School held near 1,427 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+24 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 83.2 → 82.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+24 students YoY 190354000050 · Ames, IA High · MID · TRAD

1,440 enr · 17.3:1 · 26.3% lunch · RII 34

Nearest enrollment peer: Ames Middle School (1,033 students)

Ames High School held near 1,427 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+24 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 83.2 → 82.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Iowa schools → · Find another →

Ames High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Ames High School reports 1,440 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Ames High School compares

Ames High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.3:1 ▲ 17% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 26.3% ▼ 28% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,440 top 2% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,440
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
26.3%
free-lunch eligible - 28% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher - 17% above state mean
Top 86% in Iowa - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.0%
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
$13,278
per pupil, district-wide - below Iowa avg of $13,441
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.4 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 169 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
African American 10.2%
Asian 7.9%
Two or More 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 55.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Ames High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Ames Comm School District reports $13,278 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Ames High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Ames Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Fellows Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Edwards Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Sawyer Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Meeker Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Ames High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Ames Comm School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~1,440 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)

Frequently asked questions about Ames High School

How many students attend Ames High School?

Ames High School has 1,440 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ames, IA. CCD year-over-year: 1,403 (2022-23) → 1,427 (2023-24), nearly flat (+24).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ames High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Ames High School is 17.3:1, which is 17% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ames High School?

26.3% of students at Ames High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ames High School?

The largest demographic group at Ames High School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Ames, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Ames High School?

Ames High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Ames High School rank among public schools in Ames?

By Resource Investment Index, Ames High School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Ames, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ames on the city page.

What other schools are in Ames Comm School District?

Besides Ames High School, Ames Comm School District also operates Ames Middle School (1,033 students), Fellows Elementary School (489 students), and Edwards Elementary School (436 students). See the Ames Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .