Enrollment
1,456
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pocatello, ID
Highland High School
Federal NCES profile for Highland High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 160264000472
👥 S:T ratio 18
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Idaho schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Idaho.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Pocatello · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 16.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland High School has class sizes larger than 81% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Pocatello, ID.
School address
District: Pocatello District · Idaho
NCES ID 160264000472 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.6%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High School
Highland High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Pocatello, Idaho, enrolling 1,456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 16.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Idaho, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,456 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Among 51 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Idaho schools statewide, it ranks #45, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The surrounding Pocatello District spends $8,862 per pupil, 26% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pocatello District also operates Pocatello High School (1,281 students) and Century High School (1,068 students) alongside Highland High School.
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 School compares
Highland High School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.5:1 | ▲ 20% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.6% | ▼ 43% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,456 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,456
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 81% in Idaho - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$8,862
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 78.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.5%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 78.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.6, Highland High School is about as mixed as the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pocatello District, which includes Highland High School.
$8,862
Per student
-26%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 61.6%
Federal 21.4%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocatello High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Irving Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 702
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pocatello 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 Highland High School
How many students attend Highland High School?
Highland High School has 1,456 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pocatello, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High School is 20.5:1, which is 20% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland High School?
16.6% of students at Highland High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland High School is White at 78.0% of enrollment, in Pocatello, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High School?
Highland High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 School rank among high schools in Pocatello?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Pocatello, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Pocatello on the city page.
Is Highland High School a good school?
Highland High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Idaho schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Idaho. 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 Pocatello District?
Besides Highland High School, Pocatello District also operates Pocatello High School (1,281 students), Century High School (1,068 students), and Franklin Middle School (718 students). See the Pocatello District 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.