Enrollment
2,336
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad High
Federal NCES profile for Carlsbad High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060750000709
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carlsbad High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Carlsbad High has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carlsbad High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Carlsbad, CA.
School address
District: Carlsbad Unified · California
NCES ID 060750000709 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carlsbad High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carlsbad High
Carlsbad High is a large high school in Carlsbad, California, enrolling 2,336 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.9% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,336 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 245 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #182, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 467 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Carlsbad's high schools, it stands alongside Sage Creek High (1,289 students): Carlsbad High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.1:1 vs 22.6:1).
Carlsbad Unified also operates Sage Creek High (1,289 students) and Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students) alongside Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad High compares
Carlsbad 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 | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 61% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,336 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,336
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
27.3%
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
$13,634
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 467 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 61.7%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 2.8%
African American 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Carlsbad High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Unified, which includes Carlsbad High.
$13,634
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.1%
State 14.0%
Federal 5.8%
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 Carlsbad High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Creek High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aviara Oaks Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hope Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Calavera Hills Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carlsbad High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Carlsbad
2 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 (~2,336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carlsbad High's federal record.
- Compare Carlsbad High against another school. Compare schools
- Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad High
How many students attend Carlsbad High?
Carlsbad High has 2,336 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carlsbad, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carlsbad High?
The student-teacher ratio at Carlsbad High is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carlsbad High?
21.9% of students at Carlsbad High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carlsbad High?
The largest demographic group at Carlsbad High is White at 61.7% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carlsbad High?
Carlsbad High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Carlsbad High rank among high schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, Carlsbad High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Carlsbad, 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 Carlsbad on the city page.
Is Carlsbad High a good school?
Carlsbad High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Carlsbad Unified?
Besides Carlsbad High, Carlsbad Unified also operates Sage Creek High (1,289 students), Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students), and Valley Middle (807 students). See the Carlsbad 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.