Enrollment
1,423
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Burien, WA
Highline High School
Federal NCES profile for Highline High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530354000531
👥 S:T ratio 5
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highline High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #7 of 10
- public schools in Burien · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.7:1
- large classes for Washington
- 63.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Highline High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highline High School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Burien, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000531 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.6%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highline High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highline High School
Highline High School is a higher-need, large high school in Burien, Washington, enrolling 1,423 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.7:1 is larger than about 92% of Washington schools and 35% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,423 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 64 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #35.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and Asian (17%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Burien's high schools, it stands alongside Highline Open Doors 1418 (240 students): Highline High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.7:1 vs 40:1).
Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students) and Evergreen High School (1,080 students) alongside Highline 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 Highline High School compares
Highline 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 | 23.7:1 | ▲ 35% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.6% | ▲ 41% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,423 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,423
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 92% in Washington - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,077
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 55.9%
Asian 16.6%
White 9.8%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, Highline High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Highline High School.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Highline High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tyee High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highline High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Burien
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,423 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highline High School's federal record.
- Compare Highline High School against another school. Compare schools
- Highline 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 Highline High School
How many students attend Highline High School?
Highline High School has 1,423 students enrolled. It is a high school in Burien, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highline High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Highline High School is 23.7:1, which is 35% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highline High School?
63.6% of students at Highline High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highline High School?
The largest demographic group at Highline High School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment, in Burien, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highline High School?
Highline High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Highline High School rank among public schools in Burien?
By Resource Investment Index, Highline High School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Burien, 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 Burien on the city page.
Is Highline High School a good school?
Highline High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 Highline School District?
Besides Highline High School, Highline School District also operates Mount Rainier High School (1,846 students), Evergreen High School (1,080 students), and Glacier Middle School (803 students). See the Highline 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.