Enrollment
777
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Denison, IA
Denison High School
Federal NCES profile for Denison High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190891000508
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denison High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Denison · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 48.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Denison High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denison High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA.
School address
District: Denison Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190891000508 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denison High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denison High School
Denison High School is a large high school in Denison, Iowa, enrolling 777 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.7:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 20% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 93% of state schools at 777 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 87 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #59.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (30%) (diversity index 50/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Denison Comm School District also operates Denison Elementary School (691 students) and Denison Middle School (502 students) alongside Denison 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 Denison High School compares
Denison High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.3% | ▲ 33% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 777 | top 7% | - | - |
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.
777
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$12,439
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.4%
White 30.4%
African American 3.2%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Denison High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Denison Comm School District, which includes Denison High School.
$12,439
Per student
-3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.6%
State 57.4%
Federal 21.1%
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 Denison High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denison Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Denison Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Broadway Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Denison High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~777 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denison High School's federal record.
- Compare Denison High School against another school. Compare schools
- Denison Comm 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 Denison High School
How many students attend Denison High School?
Denison High School has 777 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denison, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denison High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Denison High School is 17.7:1, which is 20% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Denison High School?
48.3% of students at Denison High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denison High School?
The largest demographic group at Denison High School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment, in Denison, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denison High School?
Denison High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Denison High School rank among public schools in Denison?
By Resource Investment Index, Denison High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Denison on the city page.
Is Denison High School a good school?
Denison High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. 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 Denison Comm School District?
Besides Denison High School, Denison Comm School District also operates Denison Elementary School (691 students), Denison Middle School (502 students), and Broadway Elementary School (288 students). See the Denison Comm 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.