Enrollment
2,331
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · El Cajon, CA
Granite Hills High
Federal NCES profile for Granite Hills High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061623002020
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Granite Hills High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #9 of 9
- high schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 39.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Granite Hills High has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Granite Hills High ranks #9 of 9 high schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Grossmont Union High · California
NCES ID 061623002020 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Granite Hills High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Granite Hills High
Granite Hills High is a large high school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 2,331 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,331 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 258 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #163.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among El Cajon's high schools, it stands alongside Valhalla High (1,728 students): Granite Hills High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24:1 vs 22.2:1).
Grossmont Union High also operates Grossmont High (2,172 students) and El Capitan High (1,810 students) alongside Granite Hills 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 Granite Hills High compares
Granite Hills 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 | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.1% | ▼ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,331 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,331
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.4%
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
$17,029
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.6 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 38.8%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 4.0%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Granite Hills High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grossmont Union High, which includes Granite Hills High.
$17,029
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 38.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 Granite Hills High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grossmont High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valhalla High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Cajon Valley High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Hills High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Granite Hills High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,172
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,810
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in El Cajon
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Valhalla High
Standard public school
1,728 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
El Cajon Valley High
Standard public school
1,701 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Idea Center
Alternative education program
127 students 7.9:1 students per teacher
Merit Academy
Special-education school
68 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Chaparral High
Alternative education program
45 students 6.4:1 students per teacher
Grossmont Middle College High
Alternative education program
37 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,331 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Granite Hills High's federal record.
- Compare Granite Hills High against another school. Compare schools
- Grossmont Union High'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 Granite Hills High
How many students attend Granite Hills High?
Granite Hills High has 2,331 students enrolled. It is a high school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Granite Hills High?
The student-teacher ratio at Granite Hills High is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Granite Hills High?
39.1% of students at Granite Hills High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Granite Hills High?
The largest demographic group at Granite Hills High is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Granite Hills High?
Granite Hills High has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Granite Hills High rank among high schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Granite Hills High ranks #9 of 9 high schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Granite Hills High a good school?
Granite Hills High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. 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 Grossmont Union High?
Besides Granite Hills High, Grossmont Union High also operates Grossmont High (2,172 students), El Capitan High (1,810 students), and Valhalla High (1,728 students). See the Grossmont Union High 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.