Enrollment
819
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Los Angeles, CA
Downtown Business High
Federal NCES profile for Downtown Business High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062271007757
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Downtown Business High earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools.
- #30 of 122
- high schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.7:1
- small classes for California
- 80.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Downtown Business High has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Business High ranks #30 of 122 high schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271007757 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Downtown Business High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Downtown Business High
Downtown Business High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 819 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.7:1, Downtown Business High is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 22% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 819 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,441 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and Asian (34%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 205 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's high schools, it stands alongside Venice Senior High (2,293 students): Downtown Business High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 24.4:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Downtown Business 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 Downtown Business High compares
Downtown Business 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 | 16.7:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.0% | ▲ 44% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 819 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
819
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$21,940
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 205 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 57.4%
Asian 33.6%
White 3.8%
African American 2.3%
Two or More 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, Downtown Business High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Downtown Business High.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Downtown Business High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Downtown Business High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Venice Senior High
Standard public school
2,293 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
James a. Garfield Senior High
Standard public school
2,237 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Alexander Hamilton Senior High
Standard public school
2,055 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
John C. Fremont Senior High
Standard public school
1,889 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
John Marshall Senior High
Standard public school
1,842 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt Senior High
Standard public school
1,678 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~819 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Downtown Business High's federal record.
- Compare Downtown Business High against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Downtown Business High
How many students attend Downtown Business High?
Downtown Business High has 819 students enrolled. It is a high school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Downtown Business High?
The student-teacher ratio at Downtown Business High is 16.7:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 Downtown Business High?
80.0% of students at Downtown Business High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Downtown Business High?
The largest demographic group at Downtown Business High is Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Downtown Business High?
Downtown Business High has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 Downtown Business High rank among high schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Downtown Business High ranks #30 of 122 high schools in Los Angeles, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Downtown Business High a good school?
Downtown Business High earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of California 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Downtown Business High, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.