Enrollment
1,046
Alaska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palmer, AK
Colony High School
Federal NCES profile for Colony High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 020051000711
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colony High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Palmer · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Alaska
- 24.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Colony High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Alaska schools. Computed live against every Alaska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colony High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Palmer, AK.
School address
District: Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District · Alaska
NCES ID 020051000711 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 15.2:1 Alaska avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.2%
vs 61.5% Alaska avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colony High School compares with Alaska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colony High School
Colony High School is a large high school in Palmer, Alaska, enrolling 1,046 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Alaska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alaska, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,046 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 495 scored Alaska schools.
Against 18 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #3.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 209 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District spends $16,171 per pupil, 51% below the Alaska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Palmer's high schools, it stands alongside Palmer High School (616 students): Colony High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19:1 vs 14.7:1).
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students) and Wasilla High School (816 students) alongside Colony 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 Colony High School compares
Colony High School on the metrics families compare, against Alaska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alaska | Alaska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 25% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.2% | ▼ 61% | 61.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,046 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,046
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Alaska average of 61.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 84% in Alaska - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.3%
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
$16,171
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alaska avg of $33,240
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 209 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 66.6%
Two or More 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.5%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Colony High School is more mixed than the Alaska school average of 43.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, which includes Colony High School.
$16,171
Per student
-51%
vs Alaska
Avg $33,240
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 62.7%
Federal 14.7%
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 Colony High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat-Su Central School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Wasilla High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colony Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mat-Su Career & Tech Ed High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Teeland Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colony High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,780
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 816
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools in Palmer
2 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 Alaska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,046 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colony High School's federal record.
- Compare Colony High School against another school. Compare schools
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough 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 Colony High School
How many students attend Colony High School?
Colony High School has 1,046 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmer, AK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colony High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Colony High School is 19:1, which is 25% higher than the Alaska average of 15.2:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colony High School?
24.2% of students at Colony High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alaska average of 61.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colony High School?
The largest demographic group at Colony High School is White at 66.6% of enrollment, in Palmer, AK. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colony High School?
Colony High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Colony High School rank among high schools in Palmer?
By Resource Investment Index, Colony High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Palmer, AK. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Palmer on the city page.
Is Colony High School a good school?
Colony High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alaska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alaska. 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District?
Besides Colony High School, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District also operates Mat-Su Central School (2,780 students), Wasilla High School (816 students), and Colony Middle School (771 students). See the Matanuska-Susitna Borough 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.