Enrollment
1,333
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cedar Falls, IA
Cedar Falls High School
Federal NCES profile for Cedar Falls High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190651000221
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cedar Falls High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #3 of 11
- public schools in Cedar Falls · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 21.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cedar Falls High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cedar Falls High School ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Cedar Falls, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Falls Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190651000221 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cedar Falls High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cedar Falls High School
Cedar Falls High School is a large high school in Cedar Falls, Iowa, enrolling 1,333 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,333 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Peet Junior High School (695 students) and Holmes Junior High School (628 students) alongside Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls High School compares
Cedar Falls High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.0% | ▼ 42% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,333 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,333
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 54% in Iowa - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,378
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 115 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.6 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 84.3%
Two or More 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
African American 2.8%
Asian 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.3, Cedar Falls High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Falls Comm School District, which includes Cedar Falls High School.
$11,378
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 51.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Cedar Falls High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peet Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Holmes Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Helen a Hansen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southdale Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cedar Falls High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,333 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cedar Falls High School's federal record.
- Compare Cedar Falls High School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Falls Comm 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 Cedar Falls High School
How many students attend Cedar Falls High School?
Cedar Falls High School has 1,333 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cedar Falls High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cedar Falls High School is 14.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cedar Falls High School?
21.0% of students at Cedar Falls High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cedar Falls High School?
The largest demographic group at Cedar Falls High School is White at 84.3% of enrollment, in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cedar Falls High School?
Cedar Falls High School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 Cedar Falls High School rank among public schools in Cedar Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Cedar Falls High School ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Cedar Falls, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cedar Falls on the city page.
Is Cedar Falls High School a good school?
Cedar Falls High School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Cedar Falls Comm School District?
Besides Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Peet Junior High School (695 students), Holmes Junior High School (628 students), and Helen a Hansen Elementary School (569 students). See the Cedar Falls Comm 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.