Enrollment
744
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Jose, CA
Gunderson High
Federal NCES profile for Gunderson High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063459005716
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gunderson High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools.
- #9 of 42
- high schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- small classes for California
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Gunderson High has class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gunderson High ranks #9 of 42 high schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: San Jose Unified · California
NCES ID 063459005716 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gunderson High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gunderson High
Gunderson High is a mid-sized high school in San Jose, California, enrolling 744 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.2:1, Gunderson High is leaner than roughly 86% of California schools and 25% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 744 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #396.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and White (11%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 186 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Jose's high schools, it stands alongside Evergreen Valley High (2,703 students): Gunderson High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 23.7:1).
San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students) and Willow Glen High (1,543 students) alongside Gunderson 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 Gunderson High compares
Gunderson 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 744 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
744
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in California - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.2%
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
$16,122
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 186 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
Hispanic or Latino 67.9%
White 10.6%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Gunderson High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Jose Unified, which includes Gunderson High.
$16,122
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.7%
State 23.6%
Federal 8.7%
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 Gunderson High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gunderson High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in San Jose
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Evergreen Valley High
Standard public school
2,703 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Independence High
Standard public school
2,289 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Silver Creek High
Standard public school
2,139 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Santa Teresa High
Standard public school
2,134 students 22:1 students per teacher
Piedmont Hills High
Standard public school
1,918 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Leigh High
Standard public school
1,884 students 25.8:1 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 (~744 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gunderson High's federal record.
- Compare Gunderson High against another school. Compare schools
- San Jose Unified'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 Gunderson High
How many students attend Gunderson High?
Gunderson High has 744 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gunderson High?
The student-teacher ratio at Gunderson High is 16.2:1, which is 25% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gunderson High?
41.7% of students at Gunderson High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gunderson High?
The largest demographic group at Gunderson High is Hispanic or Latino at 67.9% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gunderson High?
Gunderson High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Gunderson High rank among high schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Gunderson High ranks #9 of 42 high schools in San Jose, 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 San Jose on the city page.
Is Gunderson High a good school?
Gunderson High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. 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 San Jose Unified?
Besides Gunderson High, San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students), Willow Glen High (1,543 students), and Leland High (1,471 students). See the San Jose Unified 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.