Enrollment
1,991
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mission Viejo, CA
Capistrano Valley High
Federal NCES profile for Capistrano Valley High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060744000685
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Capistrano Valley High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Mission Viejo · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.9:1
- students per teacher
- 30.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Capistrano Valley High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Capistrano Valley High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Mission Viejo, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000685 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Capistrano Valley High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Capistrano Valley High
Capistrano Valley High is a large high school in Mission Viejo, California, enrolling 1,991 students.
At 21.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,991 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 289 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #133.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 664 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mission Viejo's high schools, it stands alongside Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students): Capistrano Valley High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.9:1 vs 22.3:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Capistrano Valley 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 Capistrano Valley High compares
Capistrano Valley 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.4% | ▼ 45% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,991 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,991
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.0%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 664 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 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
White 45.0%
Hispanic or Latino 31.3%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 10.3%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.5, Capistrano Valley High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Capistrano Valley High.
$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 Capistrano Valley High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dana Hills High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Capistrano Valley High'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
- 1,725
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Mission Viejo
3 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 (~1,991 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Capistrano Valley High's federal record.
- Compare Capistrano Valley High 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 Capistrano Valley High
How many students attend Capistrano Valley High?
Capistrano Valley High has 1,991 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mission Viejo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Capistrano Valley High?
The student-teacher ratio at Capistrano Valley High is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Capistrano Valley High?
30.4% of students at Capistrano Valley High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Capistrano Valley High?
The largest demographic group at Capistrano Valley High is White at 45.0% of enrollment, in Mission Viejo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Capistrano Valley High?
Capistrano Valley High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Capistrano Valley High rank among high schools in Mission Viejo?
By Resource Investment Index, Capistrano Valley High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Mission Viejo, 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 Mission Viejo on the city page.
Is Capistrano Valley High a good school?
Capistrano Valley High earns 45/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Capistrano Valley High, 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.