Enrollment
2,706
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palmdale, CA
Highland High
Federal NCES profile for Highland High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060282009515
👥 S:T ratio 1
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 4
- high schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 53.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland High has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Antelope Valley Union High · California
NCES ID 060282009515 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
109.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High
Highland High is a higher-need, large high school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 2,706 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,706 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 207 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #191, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 50/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% 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 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Palmdale's high schools, it stands alongside William J. (Pete) Knight High (2,349 students): Highland High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.8:1 vs 19.9:1).
Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students) and Lancaster High (2,688 students) alongside Highland 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 Highland High compares
Highland 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▼ 4% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,706 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,706
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
35.6%
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
$15,679
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 166 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 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%
African American 16.4%
White 7.2%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Highland High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Antelope Valley Union High, which includes Highland High.
$15,679
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 64.5%
Federal 15.3%
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 Highland High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz Hill High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palmdale High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,175
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,688
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,631
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,349
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,208
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Palmdale
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~2,706 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High's federal record.
- Compare Highland High against another school. Compare schools
- Antelope Valley Union High'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 Highland High
How many students attend Highland High?
Highland High has 2,706 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland High?
53.2% of students at Highland High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High?
The largest demographic group at Highland High is Hispanic or Latino at 67.9% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High?
Highland High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Highland High rank among high schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #3 of 4 high schools in Palmdale, 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 Palmdale on the city page.
Is Highland High a good school?
Highland High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Antelope Valley Union High?
Besides Highland High, Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students), Lancaster High (2,688 students), and Eastside High (2,631 students). See the Antelope Valley Union High 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.