Enrollment
1,995
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pico Rivera, CA
El Rancho High
Federal NCES profile for El Rancho High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061218001372
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Rancho High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 14
- public schools in Pico Rivera · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 21.9:1
- students per teacher
- 59.5%
- free-lunch eligible
El Rancho High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Rancho High ranks #2 of 14 public schools in Pico Rivera, CA.
School address
District: El Rancho Unified · California
NCES ID 061218001372 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Rancho High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Rancho High
El Rancho High is a higher-need, large high school in Pico Rivera, California, enrolling 1,995 students.
At 21.9:1, 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 59.5% 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 97% of state schools at 1,995 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 313 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 166 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Pico Rivera's high schools, it stands alongside Ruben Salazar Continuation (178 students): El Rancho High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.9:1 vs 17.8:1).
El Rancho Unified also operates Rivera Middle (544 students) and Steam Academy @ Burke (534 students) alongside El Rancho 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 Rancho High compares
El Rancho 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.5% | ▲ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,995 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,995
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.3%
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
$16,802
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors12.0 FTE
Per 166 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 123 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 97.0%
Asian 1.4%
White 1.1%
African American 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.9, El Rancho High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for El Rancho Unified, which includes El Rancho High.
$16,802
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.2%
State 61.8%
Federal 14.0%
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 Rancho High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivera Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Steam Academy @ Burke | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Park Academy of the Arts | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rivera Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia Academy of the Arts | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Rancho High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
Similar high schools in Pico Rivera
1 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 (~1,995 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Rancho High's federal record.
- Compare El Rancho High against another school. Compare schools
- El Rancho 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 Rancho High
How many students attend El Rancho High?
El Rancho High has 1,995 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pico Rivera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Rancho High?
The student-teacher ratio at El Rancho High is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Rancho High?
59.5% of students at El Rancho High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Rancho High?
The largest demographic group at El Rancho High is Hispanic or Latino at 97.0% of enrollment, in Pico Rivera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Rancho High?
El Rancho High has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 El Rancho High rank among public schools in Pico Rivera?
By Resource Investment Index, El Rancho High ranks #2 of 14 public schools in Pico Rivera, 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 Pico Rivera on the city page.
Is El Rancho High a good school?
El Rancho High earns 52/100 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 El Rancho Unified?
Besides El Rancho High, El Rancho Unified also operates Rivera Middle (544 students), Steam Academy @ Burke (534 students), and North Park Academy of the Arts (512 students). See the El Rancho 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.