Enrollment
1,440
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
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 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190354000050
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 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 35/100 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
- 35
- 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
District: Ames Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190354000050 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
83.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ames High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ames High School
Ames High School is a large high school in Ames, Iowa, enrolling 1,440 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 86% of Iowa schools and 17% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,440 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 45 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #40, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Ames Comm School District also operates Ames Middle School (1,033 students) and Fellows Elementary School (489 students) alongside Ames High School.
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 Ames High School compares
Ames High School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$12,626
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ames Comm School District, which includes Ames High School.
$12,626
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.7%
State 34.6%
Federal 7.8%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,440 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ames High School's federal record.
- Compare Ames High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ames Comm School District'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 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.
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 35/100 (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 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.
Is Ames High School a good school?
Ames High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 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.
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.