Enrollment
2,433
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harlingen, TX
Harlingen H S
Federal NCES profile for Harlingen H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 482253002284
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harlingen H S earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas.
- #5 of 5
- high schools in Harlingen · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Texas
- 80.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Harlingen H S has class sizes larger than 86% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harlingen H S ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Harlingen, TX.
School address
District: Harlingen Cisd · Texas
NCES ID 482253002284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
136.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.1%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harlingen H S compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harlingen H S
Harlingen H S is a high-poverty, large high school in Harlingen, Texas, enrolling 2,433 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 86% of Texas schools and 22% above the 14.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,433 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 145 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #80.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 106 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students) and Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students) alongside Harlingen H S.
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 Harlingen H S compares
Harlingen H S on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.1% | ▲ 29% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,433 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,433
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in Texas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.0%
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
$12,718
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors10.6 FTE
Per 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
275
in-school suspensions + 144 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 106 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 94.4%
White 4.5%
Two or More 0.5%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.7, Harlingen H S is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlingen Cisd, which includes Harlingen H S.
$12,718
Per student
-7%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 52.6%
Federal 25.6%
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 Harlingen H S Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen H S - South | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moises Vela Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Treasure Hills El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gutierrez Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harlingen H S's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,019
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,188
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,433 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harlingen H S's federal record.
- Compare Harlingen H S against another school. Compare schools
- Harlingen Cisd'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 Harlingen H S
How many students attend Harlingen H S?
Harlingen H S has 2,433 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harlingen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harlingen H S?
The student-teacher ratio at Harlingen H S is 17.9:1, which is 22% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harlingen H S?
80.1% of students at Harlingen H S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harlingen H S?
The largest demographic group at Harlingen H S is Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment, in Harlingen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harlingen H S?
Harlingen H S has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Harlingen H S rank among high schools in Harlingen?
By Resource Investment Index, Harlingen H S ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Harlingen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Harlingen on the city page.
Is Harlingen H S a good school?
Harlingen H S earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Texas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Texas. 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 Harlingen Cisd?
Besides Harlingen H S, Harlingen Cisd also operates Harlingen H S - South (2,019 students), Dr Abraham P Cano Freshman Academy (1,188 students), and Moises Vela Middle (761 students). See the Harlingen Cisd 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.