Enrollment
1,730
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Costa Mesa, CA
Costa Mesa High
Federal NCES profile for Costa Mesa High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062724004110
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Costa Mesa High earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #7 of 7
- schools in Costa Mesa · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 60.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Costa Mesa High has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Costa Mesa High ranks #7 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Newport-Mesa Unified · California
NCES ID 062724004110 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Costa Mesa High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Costa Mesa High
Costa Mesa High is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Costa Mesa, California, enrolling 1,730 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,730 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 356 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #246.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (15%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Newport-Mesa Unified spends $20,621 per pupil, 25% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Costa Mesa's public schools, it stands alongside Access County Community (1,315 students): Costa Mesa High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.2:1 vs 20.2:1).
Newport-Mesa Unified also operates Corona Del Mar High (2,106 students) and Newport Harbor High (2,084 students) alongside Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa High compares
Costa Mesa 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.1% | ▲ 8% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,730 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,730
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$20,621
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 433 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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
Hispanic or Latino 70.3%
White 15.1%
Asian 6.3%
Two or More 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Costa Mesa High is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newport-Mesa Unified, which includes Costa Mesa High.
$20,621
Per student
+25%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.9%
State 17.7%
Federal 7.4%
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 Costa Mesa High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corona Del Mar High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newport Harbor High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Estancia High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horace Ensign Intermediate | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mariners Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Costa Mesa High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,084
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 875
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Costa Mesa
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Access County Community
Alternative education program
1,315 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles
Standard public school
423 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Orange County Special Education
Special-education school
331 students 7:1 students per teacher
California Pacific Charter - San Diego
Standard public school
310 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Access Juvenile Hall
Alternative education program
186 students 6.9:1 students per teacher
Monte Vista High/Cloud Campus
Alternative education program
48 students 2.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~1,730 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Costa Mesa High's federal record.
- Compare Costa Mesa High against another school. Compare schools
- Newport-Mesa 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 Costa Mesa High
How many students attend Costa Mesa High?
Costa Mesa High has 1,730 students enrolled. It is a public school in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Costa Mesa High?
The student-teacher ratio at Costa Mesa High is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Costa Mesa High?
60.1% of students at Costa Mesa High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Costa Mesa High?
The largest demographic group at Costa Mesa High is Hispanic or Latino at 70.3% of enrollment, in Costa Mesa, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Costa Mesa High?
Costa Mesa High has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Costa Mesa High rank among schools in Costa Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Costa Mesa High ranks #7 of 7 schools in Costa Mesa, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Costa Mesa on the city page.
Is Costa Mesa High a good school?
Costa Mesa High earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. 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 Newport-Mesa Unified?
Besides Costa Mesa High, Newport-Mesa Unified also operates Corona Del Mar High (2,106 students), Newport Harbor High (2,084 students), and Estancia High (976 students). See the Newport-Mesa 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.