Enrollment
2,012
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Arroyo Grande, CA
Arroyo Grande High
Federal NCES profile for Arroyo Grande High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062308003516
👥 S:T ratio 19
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arroyo Grande High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Arroyo Grande · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.3:1
- students per teacher
- 36.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Arroyo Grande High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Grande High ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Arroyo Grande, CA.
School address
District: Lucia Mar Unified · California
NCES ID 062308003516 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
99.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arroyo Grande High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arroyo Grande High
Arroyo Grande High is a large high school in Arroyo Grande, California, enrolling 2,012 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,012 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Arroyo Grande's high schools, it stands alongside Lopez Continuation High (96 students): Arroyo Grande High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.3:1 vs 10.7:1).
Lucia Mar Unified also operates Nipomo High (819 students) and Harloe Elementary (619 students) alongside Arroyo Grande 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 Arroyo Grande High compares
Arroyo Grande 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 | 20.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.6% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,012 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,012
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in California - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$13,869
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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
White 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 42.2%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 3.0%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Arroyo Grande High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lucia Mar Unified, which includes Arroyo Grande High.
$13,869
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.3%
State 30.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Arroyo Grande High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nipomo High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harloe Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dana Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lange (Dorothea) Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ocean View Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arroyo Grande High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 819
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Arroyo Grande
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 (~2,012 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arroyo Grande High's federal record.
- Compare Arroyo Grande High against another school. Compare schools
- Lucia Mar 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 Arroyo Grande High
How many students attend Arroyo Grande High?
Arroyo Grande High has 2,012 students enrolled. It is a high school in Arroyo Grande, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Grande High?
The student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Grande High is 20.3:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Arroyo Grande High?
36.6% of students at Arroyo Grande High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arroyo Grande High?
The largest demographic group at Arroyo Grande High is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Arroyo Grande, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arroyo Grande High?
Arroyo Grande High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Arroyo Grande High rank among public schools in Arroyo Grande?
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Grande High ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Arroyo Grande, 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 Arroyo Grande on the city page.
Is Arroyo Grande High a good school?
Arroyo Grande High earns 41/100 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 Lucia Mar Unified?
Besides Arroyo Grande High, Lucia Mar Unified also operates Nipomo High (819 students), Harloe Elementary (619 students), and Dana Elementary (612 students). See the Lucia Mar 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.