Enrollment
366
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cowiche, WA
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 530351002876
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 58
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 74% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Cowiche · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Washington
- 71.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cowiche, WA.
School address
District: Highland School District · Washington
NCES ID 530351002876 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.9%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland High School
Highland High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Cowiche, Washington, enrolling 366 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 71.9% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 366 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 335 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #185.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.4% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Highland School District also operates Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary (249 students) and Highland Junior High School (243 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.9% | ▲ 60% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 366 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
366
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Washington - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,923
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 81.1%
White 17.0%
Two or More 0.8%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.3, Highland High School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highland School District, which includes Highland High School.
$15,923
Per student
-18%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.9%
State 68.7%
Federal 17.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tieton Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~366 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland High School's federal record.
- Compare Highland High School against another school. Compare schools
- Highland School 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 366 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cowiche, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland High School is 19.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland High School?
71.9% of students at Highland High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland High School?
The largest demographic group at Highland High School is Hispanic or Latino at 81.1% of enrollment, in Cowiche, WA.
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, 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 Cowiche?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cowiche, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cowiche 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 74% of Washington 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 School District?
Besides Highland High School, Highland School District also operates Marcus Whitman-Cowiche Elementary (249 students), Highland Junior High School (243 students), and Tieton Intermediate School (202 students). See the Highland School 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.