Enrollment
2,172
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · La Mesa, CA
Grossmont High
Federal NCES profile for Grossmont High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061623002022
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grossmont High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 17
- public schools in La Mesa · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.4:1
- large classes for California
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Grossmont High has class sizes larger than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grossmont High ranks #4 of 17 public schools in La Mesa, CA.
School address
District: Grossmont Union High · California
NCES ID 061623002022 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grossmont High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grossmont High
Grossmont High is a large high school in La Mesa, California, enrolling 2,172 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,172 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 263 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #153.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among La Mesa's high schools, it stands alongside Helix High (2,554 students): Grossmont High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.4:1 vs 24.8:1).
Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 students) and El Capitan High (1,810 students) alongside Grossmont 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 Grossmont High compares
Grossmont 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 | 24.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,172 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.4:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,172
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in California - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
32.8%
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 45.8%
White 32.7%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Grossmont High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grossmont Union High, which includes Grossmont 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 Grossmont High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Hills High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valhalla High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Cajon Valley High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Hills High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grossmont High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,331
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- 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 La Mesa
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 (~2,172 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grossmont High's federal record.
- Compare Grossmont 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 Grossmont High
How many students attend Grossmont High?
Grossmont High has 2,172 students enrolled. It is a high school in La Mesa, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grossmont High?
The student-teacher ratio at Grossmont High is 24.4:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Grossmont High?
42.1% of students at Grossmont High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grossmont High?
The largest demographic group at Grossmont High is Hispanic or Latino at 45.8% of enrollment, in La Mesa, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grossmont High?
Grossmont High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Grossmont High rank among public schools in La Mesa?
By Resource Investment Index, Grossmont High ranks #4 of 17 public schools in La Mesa, 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 La Mesa on the city page.
Is Grossmont High a good school?
Grossmont High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Grossmont High, Grossmont Union High also operates Granite Hills High (2,331 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.