Enrollment
1,810
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lakeside, CA
El Capitan High
Federal NCES profile for El Capitan High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061623002019
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Capitan High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #6 of 12
- public schools in Lakeside · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 32.6%
- free-lunch eligible
El Capitan High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Capitan High ranks #6 of 12 public schools in Lakeside, CA.
School address
District: Grossmont Union High · California
NCES ID 061623002019 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Capitan High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Capitan High
El Capitan High is a large high school in Lakeside, California, enrolling 1,810 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,810 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 305 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students) and Grossmont High (2,172 students) alongside El Capitan 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 El Capitan High compares
El Capitan 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.6% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,810 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,810
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
32.6%
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
$17,029
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 48.4%
Hispanic or Latino 38.4%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 3.2%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 48.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, El Capitan 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 Grossmont Union High, which includes El Capitan High.
$17,029
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 El Capitan High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grossmont High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valhalla High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Cajon Valley High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Hills High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Capitan High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,331
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,172
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,810 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Capitan High's federal record.
- Compare El Capitan High against another school. Compare schools
- Grossmont Union High'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 El Capitan High
How many students attend El Capitan High?
El Capitan High has 1,810 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lakeside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Capitan High?
The student-teacher ratio at El Capitan High is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Capitan High?
32.6% of students at El Capitan High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Capitan High?
The largest demographic group at El Capitan High is White at 48.4% of enrollment, in Lakeside, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Capitan High?
El Capitan High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 El Capitan High rank among public schools in Lakeside?
By Resource Investment Index, El Capitan High ranks #6 of 12 public schools in Lakeside, 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 Lakeside on the city page.
Is El Capitan High a good school?
El Capitan High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Grossmont Union High?
Besides El Capitan High, Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students), Grossmont High (2,172 students), and Valhalla High (1,728 students). See the Grossmont Union High 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.