Enrollment
1,460
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · El Cerrito, CA
El Cerrito High
Federal NCES profile for El Cerrito High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063255005022
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Cerrito High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in El Cerrito · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 36.7%
- free-lunch eligible
El Cerrito High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Cerrito High ranks #2 of 7 public schools in El Cerrito, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255005022 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Cerrito High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Cerrito High
El Cerrito High is a large high school in El Cerrito, California, enrolling 1,460 students.
At 22.5:1, 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 36.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,460 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 427 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #29, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (32%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
West Contra Costa Unified also operates Richmond High (1,280 students) and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students) alongside El Cerrito 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 Cerrito High compares
El Cerrito 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▼ 34% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,460 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,460
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.6 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 32.0%
White 28.1%
Asian 15.8%
African American 14.6%
Two or More 8.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 32.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.5, El Cerrito High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes El Cerrito High.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Cerrito High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Cerrito High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~1,460 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Cerrito High's federal record.
- Compare El Cerrito High against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 El Cerrito High
How many students attend El Cerrito High?
El Cerrito High has 1,460 students enrolled. It is a high school in El Cerrito, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Cerrito High?
The student-teacher ratio at El Cerrito High is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Cerrito High?
36.7% of students at El Cerrito High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Cerrito High?
The largest demographic group at El Cerrito High is Hispanic or Latino at 32.0% of enrollment, in El Cerrito, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Cerrito High?
El Cerrito High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Cerrito High rank among public schools in El Cerrito?
By Resource Investment Index, El Cerrito High ranks #2 of 7 public schools in El Cerrito, 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 El Cerrito on the city page.
Is El Cerrito High a good school?
El Cerrito High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides El Cerrito High, West Contra Costa Unified also operates Richmond High (1,280 students), Pinole Valley High (1,245 students), and De Anza High (1,047 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.