Enrollment
519
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pittsburgh, PA
Highcliff El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Highcliff El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421722007348
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highcliff El Sch earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #3 of 62
- elementary schools in Pittsburgh · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highcliff El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highcliff El Sch ranks #3 of 62 elementary schools in Pittsburgh, PA.
School address
District: North Hills Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421722007348 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highcliff El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highcliff El Sch
Highcliff El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enrolling 519 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 519 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 613 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #20, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Pittsburgh's elementary schools, it stands alongside Penn Hills El Sch (1,228 students): Highcliff El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 13.2:1).
North Hills Sd also operates North Hills Shs (1,443 students) and North Hills Ms (1,127 students) alongside Highcliff El Sch.
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 Highcliff El Sch compares
Highcliff El Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 53% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 35% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,419
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 82.9%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 3.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Highcliff El Sch is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Hills Sd, which includes Highcliff El Sch.
$16,419
Per student
-9%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.0%
State 23.4%
Federal 4.6%
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 Highcliff El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Hills Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hills Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcintyre El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ross El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West View El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highcliff El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,443
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,127
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 498
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 446
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Penn Hills El Sch
Standard public school
1,228 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Mcknight El Sch
Standard public school
875 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Chartiers Valley Intrmd School
Standard public school
801 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Pittsburgh Colfax K-8
Standard public school
789 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Ohara El Sch
Standard public school
726 students 14:1 students per teacher
J.E. Harrison Education Ctr
Standard public school
716 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~519 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highcliff El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Highcliff El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- North Hills Sd'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 Highcliff El Sch
How many students attend Highcliff El Sch?
Highcliff El Sch has 519 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highcliff El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Highcliff El Sch is 12.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 21% lower 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 Highcliff El Sch?
27.4% of students at Highcliff El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highcliff El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Highcliff El Sch is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highcliff El Sch?
Highcliff El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Highcliff El Sch rank among elementary schools in Pittsburgh?
By Resource Investment Index, Highcliff El Sch ranks #3 of 62 elementary schools in Pittsburgh, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Pittsburgh on the city page.
Is Highcliff El Sch a good school?
Highcliff El Sch earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 North Hills Sd?
Besides Highcliff El Sch, North Hills Sd also operates North Hills Shs (1,443 students), North Hills Ms (1,127 students), and Mcintyre El Sch (594 students). See the North Hills Sd 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.