Enrollment
1,725
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dana Point, CA
Dana Hills High
Federal NCES profile for Dana Hills High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060744000689
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dana Hills High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Dana Point · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- small classes for California
- 31.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Dana Hills High has class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dana Hills High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Dana Point, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000689 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dana Hills High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dana Hills High
Dana Hills High is a large high school in Dana Point, California, enrolling 1,725 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,725 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 335 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #161.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Dana Hills 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 Dana Hills High compares
Dana Hills 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 | 18.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.1% | ▼ 44% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,725 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,725
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 23% in California - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$14,421
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 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 52.1%
Hispanic or Latino 34.8%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 3.9%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Dana Hills High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Dana Hills High.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Dana Hills High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dana Hills High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~1,725 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dana Hills High's federal record.
- Compare Dana Hills High against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Dana Hills High
How many students attend Dana Hills High?
Dana Hills High has 1,725 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dana Point, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dana Hills High?
The student-teacher ratio at Dana Hills High is 18.4:1, which is 14% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% 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 Dana Hills High?
31.1% of students at Dana Hills High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dana Hills High?
The largest demographic group at Dana Hills High is White at 52.1% of enrollment, in Dana Point, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dana Hills High?
Dana Hills High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Dana Hills High rank among public schools in Dana Point?
By Resource Investment Index, Dana Hills High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Dana Point, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dana Point on the city page.
Is Dana Hills High a good school?
Dana Hills High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Dana Hills High, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.