Enrollment
1,044
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, CO
Denver School of the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Denver School of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080336001574
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denver School of the Arts earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado schools.
- #36 of 125
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 10.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Denver School of the Arts has class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denver School of the Arts ranks #36 of 125 schools in Denver, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080336001574 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denver School of the Arts compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denver School of the Arts
Denver School of the Arts is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Denver, Colorado, enrolling 1,044 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.3% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Colorado average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,044 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 138 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students) and Northfield High School (2,137 students) alongside Denver School of the Arts.
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 Denver School of the Arts compares
Denver School of the Arts on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.3% | ▼ 73% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,044 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,044
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 81% in Colorado - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,336
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 61.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.3%
Two or More 9.5%
African American 6.0%
Asian 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Denver School of the Arts is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C, which includes Denver School of the Arts.
$15,336
Per student
-6%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.4%
State 16.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 Denver School of the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Denver School of the Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,476
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,137
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,950
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,653
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,044 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denver School of the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Denver School of the Arts against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C'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 Denver School of the Arts
How many students attend Denver School of the Arts?
Denver School of the Arts has 1,044 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denver School of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Denver School of the Arts is 19.3:1, which is 16% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Denver School of the Arts?
10.3% of students at Denver School of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denver School of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Denver School of the Arts is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Denver, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denver School of the Arts?
Denver School of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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 Denver School of the Arts rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Denver School of the Arts ranks #36 of 125 schools in Denver, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Denver School of the Arts a good school?
Denver School of the Arts earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Colorado 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 School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C?
Besides Denver School of the Arts, School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C also operates East High School (2,476 students), Northfield High School (2,137 students), and South High School (1,950 students). See the School District No. 1 in the County of Denver and State of C district page for the complete list.
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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.