Enrollment
2,284
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mesa, AZ
Dobson High School
Federal NCES profile for Dobson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040497001132
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dobson High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Arizona schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona.
- #7 of 13
- high schools in Mesa · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dobson High School has class sizes larger than 73% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dobson High School ranks #7 of 13 high schools in Mesa, AZ.
School address
District: Mesa Unified District (4235) · Arizona
NCES ID 040497001132 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
117.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dobson High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dobson High School
Dobson High School is a large high school in Mesa, Arizona, enrolling 2,284 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.0% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,284 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 46 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (25%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mesa's high schools, it stands alongside Aaec Online (51 students): Dobson High School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students) and Red Mountain High School (3,379 students) alongside Dobson 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 Dobson High School compares
Dobson High School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 15% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▼ 11% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,284 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,284
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 73% in Arizona - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,160
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
204
in-school suspensions + 213 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 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 53.7%
White 25.0%
African American 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.7%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Dobson High School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa Unified District (4235), which includes Dobson High School.
$11,160
Per student
-15%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 44.5%
Federal 18.1%
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 Dobson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mesa High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dobson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,421
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 3,379
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,233
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 3,135
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,995
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools in Mesa
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 Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,284 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dobson High School's federal record.
- Compare Dobson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mesa Unified District (4235)'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 Dobson High School
How many students attend Dobson High School?
Dobson High School has 2,284 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mesa, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dobson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dobson High School is 19.5:1, which is 15% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dobson High School?
43.0% of students at Dobson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dobson High School?
The largest demographic group at Dobson High School is Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment, in Mesa, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dobson High School?
Dobson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dobson High School rank among high schools in Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Dobson High School ranks #7 of 13 high schools in Mesa, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Mesa on the city page.
Is Dobson High School a good school?
Dobson High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Arizona schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona. 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 Mesa Unified District (4235)?
Besides Dobson High School, Mesa Unified District (4235) also operates Mountain View High School (3,421 students), Red Mountain High School (3,379 students), and Mesa High School (3,233 students). See the Mesa Unified District (4235) 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.