Enrollment
1,322
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Olympia, WA
Capital High School
Federal NCES profile for Capital High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530618000923
👥 S:T ratio 13
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Capital High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Olympia · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 30.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Capital High School has class sizes larger than 87% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Olympia, WA.
School address
District: Olympia School District · Washington
NCES ID 530618000923 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Capital High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Capital High School
Capital High School is a large high school in Olympia, Washington, enrolling 1,322 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.7:1 is larger than about 87% of Washington schools and 23% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,322 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 112 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #30.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 61/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 24 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Olympia School District also operates Olympia High School (1,901 students) and Washington Middle School (702 students) alongside Capital High School.
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 Capital High School compares
Capital High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.7:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.5% | ▼ 32% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,322 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,322
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Washington - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,521
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.8 FTE
Per 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 24 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 58.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 5.9%
African American 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Capital High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Olympia School District, which includes Capital High School.
$16,521
Per student
-15%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 60.5%
Federal 9.0%
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 Capital High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thurgood Marshall Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centennial Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Capital High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,901
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 702
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,322 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Capital High School's federal record.
- Compare Capital High School against another school. Compare schools
- Olympia School District'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 Capital High School
How many students attend Capital High School?
Capital High School has 1,322 students enrolled. It is a high school in Olympia, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Capital High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Capital High School is 21.7:1, which is 23% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Capital High School?
30.5% of students at Capital High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Capital High School?
The largest demographic group at Capital High School is White at 58.6% of enrollment, in Olympia, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Capital High School?
Capital High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Capital High School rank among high schools in Olympia?
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Olympia, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Olympia on the city page.
Is Capital High School a good school?
Capital High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 Olympia School District?
Besides Capital High School, Olympia School District also operates Olympia High School (1,901 students), Washington Middle School (702 students), and Thurgood Marshall Middle School (469 students). See the Olympia School District 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.