Enrollment
1,274
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Aptos, CA
Aptos High
Federal NCES profile for Aptos High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062949004535
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aptos High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Aptos · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Aptos High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aptos High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Aptos, CA.
School address
District: Pajaro Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062949004535 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aptos High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aptos High
Aptos High is a large high school in Aptos, California, enrolling 1,274 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,274 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 545 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #292.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (40%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 425 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Aptos's high schools, it stands alongside Delta Charter (113 students): Aptos High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 14.1:1).
Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students) and Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students) alongside Aptos 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 Aptos High compares
Aptos 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▼ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,274 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,274
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$17,011
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 425 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 53.1%
White 40.2%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 2.0%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Aptos High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pajaro Valley Unified, which includes Aptos High.
$17,011
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 56.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Aptos High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pajaro Valley High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alianza Charter | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aptos Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aptos High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,215
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Aptos
1 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 (~1,274 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aptos High's federal record.
- Compare Aptos High against another school. Compare schools
- Pajaro Valley 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 Aptos High
How many students attend Aptos High?
Aptos High has 1,274 students enrolled. It is a high school in Aptos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aptos High?
The student-teacher ratio at Aptos High is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aptos High?
33.5% of students at Aptos High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aptos High?
The largest demographic group at Aptos High is Hispanic or Latino at 53.1% of enrollment, in Aptos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aptos High?
Aptos High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Aptos High rank among public schools in Aptos?
By Resource Investment Index, Aptos High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Aptos, 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 Aptos on the city page.
Is Aptos High a good school?
Aptos High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Pajaro Valley Unified?
Besides Aptos High, Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students), Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students), and Alianza Charter (626 students). See the Pajaro Valley 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.