Enrollment
844
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Highland, IL
Highland High School
Federal NCES profile for Highland High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 171899002179
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Highland · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 844
- students enrolled
Highland High School has class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Highland, IL.
School address
District: Highland Cusd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 171899002179 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High School
Highland High School is a large high school in Highland, Illinois, enrolling 844 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Illinois, bigger than 90% of state schools at 844 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 281 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Highland Cusd 5 spends $12,645 per pupil, 26% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Highland Cusd 5 also operates Highland Middle School (616 students) and Highland Primary School (544 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 Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 844 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
844
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Illinois - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$12,645
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 281 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
109
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 844 Top 10% in Illinois - larger than 90% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 54.0
Students per teacher 15.9:1 +14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 171899002179
Student demographics
White 89.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Highland High School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 11
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 281:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.2%
In-school suspensions 109
Out-of-school suspensions 20
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highland Cusd 5, which includes Highland High School.
$12,645
Per student
-26%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.3%
State 38.7%
Federal 11.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland Primary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alhambra Primary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grantfork Upper Elementary Sch | Smaller | No free-lunch data | 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
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 156
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 66
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland High School against another school. Compare schools
- Highland Cusd 5'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 844 students enrolled. It is a high school in Highland, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High School is 15.9:1, which is 14% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland High School is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Highland, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland High School?
Highland High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 School rank among public schools in Highland?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Highland, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Highland on the city page.
Is Highland High School a good school?
Highland High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Illinois 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 Highland Cusd 5?
Besides Highland High School, Highland Cusd 5 also operates Highland Middle School (616 students), Highland Primary School (544 students), and Highland Elementary School (504 students). See the Highland Cusd 5 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.