High school (grades 9-12) · Bakersfield, CA

Highland High

Federal NCES profile for Highland High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954002345
0/100100/10033/100
👥 S:T ratio
2
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Highland High earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.

#11 of 20
high schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
33
Resource Index · Typical
24.6:1
large classes for California
67.3%
free-lunch eligible

Highland High has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #11 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA.

School address

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-56 students YoY

Highland High held near 2,543 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-56 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 104.0 → 106.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-56 students YoY 061954002345 · Bakersfield, CA High · LARGE · TRAD

2,530 enr · 24.6:1 · 67.3% lunch · RII 33

Nearest enrollment peer: Bakersfield High (3,069 students)

Highland High held near 2,543 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-56 headcount). Teacher FTE added 104.0 → 106.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →

Highland High in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Highland High reports 2,530 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Highland High compares

Highland High held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs California California avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 24.6:1 ▲ 14% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 67.3% ▲ 21% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 2,530 top 1% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

24.6:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,530
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
67.3%
free-lunch eligible - 21% 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
24.6:1
students per teacher - 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$17,392
per pupil, district-wide - below California avg of $18,665
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 361 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 217 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 74.4%
White 15.1%
African American 5.0%
Asian 3.1%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 42.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Highland High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Kern High reports $17,392 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Highland High Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Bakersfield High Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Arvin High Similar size Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Ridgeview High Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Stockdale High Similar size Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Liberty High Similar size Lower economic need Higher 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

Kern High · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar high schools in Bakersfield

6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Highland High

How many students attend Highland High?

Highland High has 2,530 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA. CCD year-over-year: 2,599 (2022-23) → 2,543 (2023-24), nearly flat (-56).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High?

The student-teacher ratio at Highland High is 24.6:1, which is 14% 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 Highland High?

67.3% 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 74.4% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High?

Highland High has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Highland High rank among high schools in Bakersfield?

By Resource Investment Index, Highland High ranks #11 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.

What other schools are in Kern High?

Besides Highland High, Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students), Arvin High (2,653 students), and Ridgeview High (2,575 students). See the Kern High district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved