Enrollment
1,846
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fort Collins, CO
Fossil Ridge High School
Federal NCES profile for Fossil Ridge High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080399001848
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fossil Ridge High School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #4 of 5
- high schools in Fort Collins · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 7.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Fossil Ridge High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fossil Ridge High School ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Fort Collins, CO.
School address
District: Poudre School District R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080399001848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
100.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.2%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fossil Ridge High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fossil Ridge High School
Fossil Ridge High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Fort Collins, Colorado, enrolling 1,846 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.2% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the Colorado average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,846 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 46 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 40/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 205 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students) and Fort Collins High School (1,836 students) alongside Fossil Ridge High School.
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 Fossil Ridge High School compares
Fossil Ridge High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.2% | ▼ 81% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,846 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,846
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 76% in Colorado - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,223
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 205 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Asian 6.3%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Fossil Ridge High School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poudre School District R-1, which includes Fossil Ridge High School.
$13,223
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 35.4%
Federal 7.1%
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 Fossil Ridge High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Collins High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Common Charter School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timnath Middle-High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Poudre High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fossil Ridge High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,044
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,836
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,516
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 1,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,846 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fossil Ridge High School's federal record.
- Compare Fossil Ridge High School against another school. Compare schools
- Poudre School District R-1'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 Fossil Ridge High School
How many students attend Fossil Ridge High School?
Fossil Ridge High School has 1,846 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fort Collins, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fossil Ridge High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fossil Ridge High School is 18.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fossil Ridge High School?
7.2% of students at Fossil Ridge High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fossil Ridge High School?
The largest demographic group at Fossil Ridge High School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Fort Collins, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fossil Ridge High School?
Fossil Ridge High School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fossil Ridge High School rank among high schools in Fort Collins?
By Resource Investment Index, Fossil Ridge High School ranks #4 of 5 high schools in Fort Collins, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Fort Collins on the city page.
Is Fossil Ridge High School a good school?
Fossil Ridge High School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. 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 Poudre School District R-1?
Besides Fossil Ridge High School, Poudre School District R-1 also operates Rocky Mountain High School (2,044 students), Fort Collins High School (1,836 students), and Liberty Common Charter School (1,516 students). See the Poudre School District R-1 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.