Enrollment
1,832
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Grand Junction, CO
Grand Junction High School
Federal NCES profile for Grand Junction High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080435000612
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grand Junction High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Grand Junction · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.9:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 29.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Grand Junction High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grand Junction High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Grand Junction, CO.
School address
District: Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 · Colorado
NCES ID 080435000612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grand Junction High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grand Junction High School
Grand Junction High School is a large high school in Grand Junction, Colorado, enrolling 1,832 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.9:1 is larger than about 93% of Colorado schools and 38% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.8% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,832 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,922 Colorado schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 58 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #45, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 292 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 spends $11,650 per pupil, 28% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 also operates Fruita Monument High School (1,427 students) and Central High School (1,352 students) alongside Grand Junction 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 Grand Junction High School compares
Grand Junction 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 38% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.8% | ▼ 23% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,832 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,832
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 38% 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
44.1%
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
$11,650
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
Counselors6.3 FTE
Per 292 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
107
in-school suspensions + 114 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 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 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.3%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 1.3%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.5, Grand Junction High School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, which includes Grand Junction High School.
$11,650
Per student
-28%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 46.3%
Federal 14.7%
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 Grand Junction High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruita Monument High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palisade High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fruita 8/9 School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fruita Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grand Junction High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,427
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~1,832 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grand Junction High School's federal record.
- Compare Grand Junction High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mesa County Valley School District No. 51'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 Grand Junction High School
How many students attend Grand Junction High School?
Grand Junction High School has 1,832 students enrolled. It is a high school in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grand Junction High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Grand Junction High School is 22.9:1, which is 38% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Grand Junction High School?
29.8% of students at Grand Junction High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grand Junction High School?
The largest demographic group at Grand Junction High School is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Grand Junction, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grand Junction High School?
Grand Junction High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Grand Junction High School rank among high schools in Grand Junction?
By Resource Investment Index, Grand Junction High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Grand Junction, 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 Grand Junction on the city page.
Is Grand Junction High School a good school?
Grand Junction High School earns 37/100 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 Mesa County Valley School District No. 51?
Besides Grand Junction High School, Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 also operates Fruita Monument High School (1,427 students), Central High School (1,352 students), and Palisade High School (1,073 students). See the Mesa County Valley School District No. 51 district page for the complete list.
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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.