Enrollment
1,804
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chico, CA
Chico High
Federal NCES profile for Chico High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060837000815
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chico High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Chico · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Chico High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chico High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Chico, CA.
School address
District: Chico Unified · California
NCES ID 060837000815 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
86.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chico High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chico High
Chico High is a large high school in Chico, California, enrolling 1,804 students.
At 21:1, 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 41.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,804 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 325 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #106.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 361 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 17 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chico's high schools, it stands alongside Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students): Chico High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 23.3:1).
Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students) and Bidwell Junior High (1,012 students) alongside Chico 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 Chico High compares
Chico 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▼ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,804 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,804
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.0%
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
$15,280
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 361 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 17 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 49.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.1%
Two or More 8.9%
Asian 4.8%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Chico High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chico Unified, which includes Chico High.
$15,280
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 51.0%
Federal 13.3%
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 Chico High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bidwell Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chico Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shasta Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chico High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 716
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Chico
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 (~1,804 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chico High's federal record.
- Compare Chico High against another school. Compare schools
- Chico 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 Chico High
How many students attend Chico High?
Chico High has 1,804 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chico, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chico High?
The student-teacher ratio at Chico High is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% higher 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 Chico High?
41.3% of students at Chico High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chico High?
The largest demographic group at Chico High is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Chico, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chico High?
Chico High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Chico High rank among high schools in Chico?
By Resource Investment Index, Chico High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Chico, 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 Chico on the city page.
Is Chico High a good school?
Chico High earns 40/100 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 Chico Unified?
Besides Chico High, Chico Unified also operates Pleasant Valley High (1,978 students), Bidwell Junior High (1,012 students), and Chico Junior High (861 students). See the Chico 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.