Enrollment
519
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sacramento, CA
Higher Learning Academy
Federal NCES profile for Higher Learning Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060182411916Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Higher Learning Academy earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #22 of 23
- schools in Sacramento · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.7:1
- large classes for California
- 76.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Higher Learning Academy has class sizes larger than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Higher Learning Academy ranks #22 of 23 schools in Sacramento, CA.
School address
District: Higher Learning Academy District · California
NCES ID 060182411916 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Higher Learning Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Higher Learning Academy
Higher Learning Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Sacramento, California, enrolling 519 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 519 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 2,217 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #2,177, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and Asian (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 519 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Higher Learning Academy District spends $11,543 per pupil, 30% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Sacramento's public schools, it stands alongside Highlands Community Charter (11,713 students): Higher Learning Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Higher Learning Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Higher Learning Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Higher Learning Academy compares
Higher Learning Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.4% | ▲ 38% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.7:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 77% in California - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
43.9%
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
$11,543
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 519 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 39.7%
Asian 19.8%
African American 16.4%
White 12.3%
Two or More 6.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.5, Higher Learning Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Higher Learning Academy District, which includes Higher Learning Academy.
$11,543
Per student
-30%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.9%
State 70.9%
Federal 14.2%
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.
Similar other schools in Sacramento
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Highlands Community Charter
Standard public school
11,713 students
Natomas Charter
Standard public school
1,850 students 21:1 students per teacher
California Innovative Career Academy
Standard public school
1,729 students 32.6:1 students per teacher
Fortune
Standard public school
1,698 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
Westlake Charter
Standard public school
1,493 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Leroy Greene Academy
Standard public school
755 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~519 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Higher Learning Academy's federal record.
- Compare Higher Learning Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Higher Learning Academy District'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 Higher Learning Academy
How many students attend Higher Learning Academy?
Higher Learning Academy has 519 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sacramento, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Higher Learning Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Higher Learning Academy is 24.7:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Higher Learning Academy?
76.4% of students at Higher Learning Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Higher Learning Academy?
The largest demographic group at Higher Learning Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 39.7% of enrollment, in Sacramento, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Higher Learning Academy?
Higher Learning Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (lower 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 Higher Learning Academy rank among schools in Sacramento?
By Resource Investment Index, Higher Learning Academy ranks #22 of 23 schools in Sacramento, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sacramento on the city page.
Is Higher Learning Academy a good school?
Higher Learning Academy earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Higher Learning Academy District?
None; Higher Learning Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Higher Learning Academy is its only campus.
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.