Enrollment
3,069
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield High
Federal NCES profile for Bakersfield High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954002340
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bakersfield High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #13 of 20
- high schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 74.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bakersfield High has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bakersfield High ranks #13 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Kern High · California
NCES ID 061954002340 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
126.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bakersfield High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bakersfield High
Bakersfield High is a higher-need, large high school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 3,069 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,069 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 124 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #58.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (11%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's high schools, it stands alongside Ridgeview High (2,575 students): Bakersfield High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.4:1 vs 24.3:1).
Kern High also operates Arvin High (2,653 students) and Ridgeview High (2,575 students) alongside Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield High compares
Bakersfield 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 | 24.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,069 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.4:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
3,069
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
24.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in California - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$15,830
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 384 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 427 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 72.3%
White 11.4%
African American 10.9%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.1, Bakersfield High is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kern High, which includes Bakersfield High.
$15,830
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.9%
State 63.4%
Federal 11.6%
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 Bakersfield High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvin High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stockdale High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bakersfield High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,653
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,575
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,530
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,369
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Ridgeview High
Standard public school
2,575 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Highland High
Standard public school
2,530 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Stockdale High
Standard public school
2,398 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
2,369 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
East Bakersfield High
Standard public school
2,331 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Independence High
Standard public school
2,324 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~3,069 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bakersfield High's federal record.
- Compare Bakersfield High against another school. Compare schools
- Kern 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 Bakersfield High
How many students attend Bakersfield High?
Bakersfield High has 3,069 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bakersfield High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bakersfield High is 24.4:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bakersfield High?
74.7% of students at Bakersfield High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bakersfield High?
The largest demographic group at Bakersfield High is Hispanic or Latino at 72.3% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bakersfield High?
Bakersfield High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bakersfield High rank among high schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Bakersfield High ranks #13 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Bakersfield High a good school?
Bakersfield High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. 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 Kern High?
Besides Bakersfield High, Kern High also operates Arvin High (2,653 students), Ridgeview High (2,575 students), and Highland High (2,530 students). See the Kern 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.