Enrollment
2,530
California · 2024-25 NCES data
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 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954002345
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 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 45/100 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
- 45
- 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
District: Kern High · California
NCES ID 061954002345 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
103.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+21% 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 Bakersfield, California, enrolling 2,530 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,530 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 239 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #87.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (15%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 361 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's high schools, it stands alongside Bakersfield High (3,069 students): Highland High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.6:1 vs 24.4:1).
Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students) and Arvin High (2,653 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 | 24.6:1 | ▲ 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 (what these measure)
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
$15,830
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kern High, which includes Highland High.
$15,830
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.9%
State 63.4%
Federal 11.6%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 3,069
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,653
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,575
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,369
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Bakersfield High
Standard public school
3,069 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview High
Standard public school
2,575 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Stockdale High
Standard public school
2,398 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
2,369 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
East Bakersfield High
Standard public school
2,331 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Independence High
Standard public school
2,324 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,530 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High's federal record.
- Compare Highland High against another school. Compare schools
- Kern 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 2,530 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA.
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 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, 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.
Is Highland High a good school?
Highland High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 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.
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.