Enrollment
1,881
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Vail, AZ
Cienega High School
Federal NCES profile for Cienega High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040885002195
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cienega High School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Vail · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.7:1
- students per teacher
- 16.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cienega High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cienega High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Vail, AZ.
School address
District: Vail Unified District (4413) · Arizona
NCES ID 040885002195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cienega High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cienega High School
Cienega High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Vail, Arizona, enrolling 1,881 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.0% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the Arizona average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,881 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 66 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Vail Unified District (4413) spends $9,396 per pupil, 29% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Mica Mountain High (1,319 students) and Empire High School (886 students) alongside Cienega 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 Cienega High School compares
Cienega 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.0% | ▼ 67% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,881 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,881
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Arizona - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$9,396
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
Counselors7.7 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
144
in-school suspensions + 121 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 45.4%
Hispanic or Latino 43.0%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 3.7%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Cienega High School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vail Unified District (4413), which includes Cienega High School.
$9,396
Per student
-29%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.8%
State 54.2%
Federal 10.0%
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 Cienega High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mica Mountain High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Empire High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrada Polytechnic High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Vail Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Willow Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cienega High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,319
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high 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 (~1,881 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cienega High School's federal record.
- Compare Cienega High School against another school. Compare schools
- Vail Unified District (4413)'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 Cienega High School
How many students attend Cienega High School?
Cienega High School has 1,881 students enrolled. It is a high school in Vail, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cienega High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cienega High School is 17.7:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cienega High School?
16.0% of students at Cienega High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cienega High School?
The largest demographic group at Cienega High School is White at 45.4% of enrollment, in Vail, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cienega High School?
Cienega High School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cienega High School rank among public schools in Vail?
By Resource Investment Index, Cienega High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Vail, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Vail on the city page.
Is Cienega High School a good school?
Cienega High School earns 63/100 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 Vail Unified District (4413)?
Besides Cienega High School, Vail Unified District (4413) also operates Mica Mountain High (1,319 students), Empire High School (886 students), and Andrada Polytechnic High School (836 students). See the Vail Unified District (4413) 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.