Enrollment
2,029
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Atwater, CA
Atwater High
Federal NCES profile for Atwater High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062466003699
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Atwater High earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #13 of 13
- public schools in Atwater · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 65.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Atwater High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Atwater High ranks #13 of 13 public schools in Atwater, CA.
School address
District: Merced Union High · California
NCES ID 062466003699 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Atwater High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Atwater High
Atwater High is a higher-need, large high school in Atwater, California, enrolling 2,029 students.
At 21.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,029 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 306 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #265, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 507 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Atwater's high schools, it stands alongside Buhach Colony High (1,704 students): Atwater High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 20.3:1).
Merced Union High also operates Merced High (1,943 students) and Golden Valley High (1,917 students) alongside Atwater 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 Atwater High compares
Atwater 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.1% | ▲ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,029 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,029
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
40.6%
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
$14,866
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 507 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 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 81.5%
White 12.4%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.9, Atwater High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merced Union High, which includes Atwater High.
$14,866
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 67.1%
Federal 13.0%
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 Atwater High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buhach Colony High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Livingston High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Atwater High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,704
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in Atwater
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 (~2,029 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Atwater High's federal record.
- Compare Atwater High against another school. Compare schools
- Merced Union High'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 Atwater High
How many students attend Atwater High?
Atwater High has 2,029 students enrolled. It is a high school in Atwater, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Atwater High?
The student-teacher ratio at Atwater High is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Atwater High?
65.1% of students at Atwater High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Atwater High?
The largest demographic group at Atwater High is Hispanic or Latino at 81.5% of enrollment, in Atwater, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Atwater High?
Atwater High has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Atwater High rank among public schools in Atwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Atwater High ranks #13 of 13 public schools in Atwater, 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 Atwater on the city page.
Is Atwater High a good school?
Atwater High earns 27/100 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 Merced Union High?
Besides Atwater High, Merced Union High also operates Merced High (1,943 students), Golden Valley High (1,917 students), and El Capitan High (1,793 students). See the Merced Union High 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.