Enrollment
533
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aliso Viejo, CA
Canyon Vista Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Canyon Vista Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744011268
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Canyon Vista Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Aliso Viejo · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.1:1
- large classes for California
- 12.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Canyon Vista Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Canyon Vista Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Aliso Viejo, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744011268 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Canyon Vista Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Canyon Vista Elementary
Canyon Vista Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Aliso Viejo, California, enrolling 533 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.1:1 is larger than about 93% of California schools and 31% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.6% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the California average.
With 533 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,027 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #746, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 888 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Aliso Viejo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Don Juan Avila Elementary (672 students): Canyon Vista Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.1:1 vs 24.9:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Canyon Vista Elementary.
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 Canyon Vista Elementary compares
Canyon Vista Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.6% | ▼ 77% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.1:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
28.1:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 93% in California - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,421
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 54.6%
Two or More 16.9%
Asian 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Largest group: White at 54.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, Canyon Vista Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Canyon Vista Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Canyon Vista Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Canyon Vista Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Aliso Viejo
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Don Juan Avila Elementary
Standard public school
672 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Journey
Standard public school
617 students 26.8:1 students per teacher
Oak Grove Elementary
Standard public school
569 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Wood Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
425 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~533 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Canyon Vista Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Canyon Vista Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Canyon Vista Elementary
How many students attend Canyon Vista Elementary?
Canyon Vista Elementary has 533 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aliso Viejo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Canyon Vista Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Canyon Vista Elementary is 28.1:1, which is 31% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 79% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Canyon Vista Elementary?
12.6% of students at Canyon Vista Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Canyon Vista Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Canyon Vista Elementary is White at 54.6% of enrollment, in Aliso Viejo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Canyon Vista Elementary?
Canyon Vista Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Canyon Vista Elementary rank among elementary schools in Aliso Viejo?
By Resource Investment Index, Canyon Vista Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Aliso Viejo, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Aliso Viejo on the city page.
Is Canyon Vista Elementary a good school?
Canyon Vista Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Canyon Vista Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.