Enrollment
767
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hercules, CA
Hercules High
Federal NCES profile for Hercules High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063255008691
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hercules High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Hercules · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.4:1
- large classes for California
- 25.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hercules High has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hercules High ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Hercules, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255008691 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hercules High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hercules High
Hercules High is a mid-sized high school in Hercules, California, enrolling 767 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.4:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 27% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 767 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 1,218 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #537.
Its student body is led by Asian (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 students) alongside Hercules 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 Hercules High compares
Hercules 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 | 27.4:1 | ▲ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.2% | ▼ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 767 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.4:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
767
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
27.4:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
27.9%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.6 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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
Asian 43.1%
Hispanic or Latino 26.6%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 8.2%
White 6.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.2, Hercules High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Hercules High.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Hercules High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hercules High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~767 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hercules High's federal record.
- Compare Hercules High against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 Hercules High
How many students attend Hercules High?
Hercules High has 767 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hercules, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hercules High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hercules High is 27.4:1, which is 27% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hercules High?
25.2% of students at Hercules High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hercules High?
The largest demographic group at Hercules High is Asian at 43.1% of enrollment, in Hercules, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hercules High?
Hercules High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Hercules High rank among public schools in Hercules?
By Resource Investment Index, Hercules High ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Hercules, 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 Hercules on the city page.
Is Hercules High a good school?
Hercules High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Hercules High, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.