Enrollment
1,469
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Golden, CO
Golden High School
Federal NCES profile for Golden High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080480000733
👥 S:T ratio 11
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #15 of 16
- public schools in Golden · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.3:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 18.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden High School ranks #15 of 16 public schools in Golden, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000733 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden High School
Golden High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Golden, Colorado, enrolling 1,469 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Colorado schools and 34% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 18.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,469 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 92 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #76, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.1% 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.
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Golden 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 Golden High School compares
Golden 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 | 22.3:1 | ▲ 34% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.0% | ▼ 53% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,469 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,469
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 93% in Colorado - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.1%
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
$13,124
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 66 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
White 79.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.4%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 79.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Golden High School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Golden High School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Golden High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~1,469 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden High School's federal record.
- Compare Golden High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. 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 Golden High School
How many students attend Golden High School?
Golden High School has 1,469 students enrolled. It is a high school in Golden, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden High School is 22.3:1, which is 34% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden High School?
18.0% of students at Golden High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden High School?
The largest demographic group at Golden High School is White at 79.0% of enrollment, in Golden, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden High School?
Golden High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Golden High School rank among public schools in Golden?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden High School ranks #15 of 16 public schools in Golden, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Golden on the city page.
Is Golden High School a good school?
Golden High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Golden High School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. 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.