Enrollment
1,795
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Orange, CA
El Modena High
Federal NCES profile for El Modena High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062865004425
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Modena High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Orange · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 51.8%
- free-lunch eligible
El Modena High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Modena High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Orange, CA.
School address
District: Orange Unified · California
NCES ID 062865004425 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
86.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Modena High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Modena High
El Modena High is a higher-need, large high school in Orange, California, enrolling 1,795 students.
At 20.9:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,795 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 323 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #198.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (17%) (diversity index 43/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 598 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Orange's high schools, it stands alongside Orange High (1,728 students): El Modena High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 21.9:1).
Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students) and Villa Park High (2,023 students) alongside El Modena 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 Modena High compares
El Modena 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.8% | ▼ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,795 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,795
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.1%
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
$14,036
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 598 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 104 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 73.6%
White 16.8%
Asian 6.6%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.5, El Modena High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange Unified, which includes El Modena High.
$14,036
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 35.0%
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 Modena High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Villa Park High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orange High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Rancho Charter | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcpherson Magnet | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Modena High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,183
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,023
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 29.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 863
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Orange
3 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 California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,795 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Modena High's federal record.
- Compare El Modena High against another school. Compare schools
- Orange 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 Modena High
How many students attend El Modena High?
El Modena High has 1,795 students enrolled. It is a high school in Orange, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Modena High?
The student-teacher ratio at El Modena High is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 El Modena High?
51.8% of students at El Modena High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Modena High?
The largest demographic group at El Modena High is Hispanic or Latino at 73.6% of enrollment, in Orange, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Modena High?
El Modena High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Modena High rank among high schools in Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, El Modena High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Orange, 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 Orange on the city page.
Is El Modena High a good school?
El Modena High earns 42/100 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 Orange Unified?
Besides El Modena High, Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students), Villa Park High (2,023 students), and Orange High (1,728 students). See the Orange 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.