Enrollment
1,575
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tucson, AZ
Cholla High School
Federal NCES profile for Cholla High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 040880001443
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cholla High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona.
- #38 of 131
- schools in Tucson · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 53.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cholla High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cholla High School ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ.
School address
District: Tucson Unified District (4403) · Arizona
NCES ID 040880001443 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cholla High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cholla High School
Cholla High School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Tucson, Arizona, enrolling 1,575 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.0% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,575 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 49 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (80%) and White (8%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 394 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 23.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tucson's public schools, it stands alongside Craycroft Elementary School (586 students): Cholla High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.1:1 vs 21.7:1).
Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students) and Pueblo High School (1,821 students) alongside Cholla 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 Cholla High School compares
Cholla High School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.0% | ▲ 10% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,575 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,575
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 55% in Arizona - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,545
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 394 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 135 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 79.8%
White 8.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.4%
African American 2.5%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, Cholla High School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tucson Unified District (4403), which includes Cholla High School.
$11,545
Per student
-12%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 34.7%
Federal 23.6%
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 Cholla High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pueblo High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sahuaro High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Catalina Online Learning Experience | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Rincon High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cholla High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,938
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,109
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Tucson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,575 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cholla High School's federal record.
- Compare Cholla High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tucson Unified District (4403)'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 Cholla High School
How many students attend Cholla High School?
Cholla High School has 1,575 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tucson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cholla High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cholla High School is 17.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cholla High School?
53.0% of students at Cholla High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cholla High School?
The largest demographic group at Cholla High School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.8% of enrollment, in Tucson, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cholla High School?
Cholla High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cholla High School rank among schools in Tucson?
By Resource Investment Index, Cholla High School ranks #38 of 131 schools in Tucson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tucson on the city page.
Is Cholla High School a good school?
Cholla High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona. 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 Tucson Unified District (4403)?
Besides Cholla High School, Tucson Unified District (4403) also operates Tucson Magnet High School (2,938 students), Pueblo High School (1,821 students), and Sahuaro High School (1,250 students). See the Tucson Unified District (4403) 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.