Enrollment
625
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fresno, CA
Central High
Federal NCES profile for Central 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 060797014556
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools.
- #11 of 25
- high schools in Fresno · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- small classes for California
- 61.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Central High has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #11 of 25 high schools in Fresno, CA.
School address
District: Central Unified · California
NCES ID 060797014556 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central High
Central High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Fresno, California, enrolling 625 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.9:1, Central High is leaner than roughly 91% of California schools and 35% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 625 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,853 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #190, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (18%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Fresno's high schools, it stands alongside Sunnyside High (2,858 students): Central High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 21.8:1).
Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students) and Central East High (1,741 students) alongside Central 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 Central High compares
Central 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 35% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.4% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 625 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
625
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 9% in California - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.3%
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
$14,150
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
Hispanic or Latino 62.7%
White 17.8%
Asian 14.4%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Central High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Unified, which includes Central High.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 65.7%
Federal 12.0%
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 Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Garza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harvest Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glacier Point Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rio Vista Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,095
- Students per teacher
- 29.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,010
- Students per teacher
- 29.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 947
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Fresno
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Sunnyside High
Standard public school
2,858 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Bullard High
Standard public school
2,485 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Clovis North High
Standard public school
2,360 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Edison High
Standard public school
2,339 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Clovis West High
Standard public school
2,184 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt High
Standard public school
2,175 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~625 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central High's federal record.
- Compare Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Central High
How many students attend Central High?
Central High has 625 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fresno, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Central High is 13.9:1, which is 35% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Central High?
61.4% of students at Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central High?
The largest demographic group at Central High is Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment, in Fresno, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central High?
Central 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 Central High rank among high schools in Fresno?
By Resource Investment Index, Central High ranks #11 of 25 high schools in Fresno, 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 Fresno on the city page.
Is Central High a good school?
Central High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Central Unified?
Besides Central High, Central Unified also operates Justin Garza High (2,095 students), Central East High (1,741 students), and Harvest Elementary (1,010 students). See the Central 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.