Enrollment
1,771
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Chula Vista, CA
Hilltop Senior High
Federal NCES profile for Hilltop Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063864006484
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilltop Senior High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #5 of 9
- high schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 21.6:1
- students per teacher
- 60.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilltop Senior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Senior High ranks #5 of 9 high schools in Chula Vista, CA.
School address
District: Sweetwater Union High · California
NCES ID 063864006484 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilltop Senior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilltop Senior High
Hilltop Senior High is a higher-need, large high school in Chula Vista, California, enrolling 1,771 students.
At 21.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,771 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 350 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 (79%) and White (13%) (diversity index 36/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 177 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chula Vista's high schools, it stands alongside Eastlake High (2,557 students): Hilltop Senior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.6:1 vs 23.2:1).
Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students) and Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students) alongside Hilltop Senior 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 Hilltop Senior High compares
Hilltop Senior 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 | 21.6:1 | ▲ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.5% | ▲ 9% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,771 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,771
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 49% in California - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$13,859
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors10.0 FTE
Per 177 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 78.8%
White 13.4%
Asian 3.0%
Two or More 2.6%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Hilltop Senior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweetwater Union High, which includes Hilltop Senior High.
$13,859
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Hilltop Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Otay Ranch Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sweetwater High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olympian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bonita Vista Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilltop Senior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,440
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,289
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in Chula Vista
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Eastlake High
Standard public school
2,557 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Otay Ranch Senior High
Standard public school
2,440 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Olympian High
Standard public school
2,289 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Bonita Vista Senior High
Standard public school
1,960 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Chula Vista Senior High
Standard public school
1,864 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Castle Park Senior High
Standard public school
1,363 students 21:1 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 (~1,771 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilltop Senior High's federal record.
- Compare Hilltop Senior High against another school. Compare schools
- Sweetwater Union 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 Hilltop Senior High
How many students attend Hilltop Senior High?
Hilltop Senior High has 1,771 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Senior High is 21.6:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hilltop Senior High?
60.5% of students at Hilltop Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilltop Senior High?
The largest demographic group at Hilltop Senior High is Hispanic or Latino at 78.8% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilltop Senior High?
Hilltop Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Hilltop Senior High rank among high schools in Chula Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Senior High ranks #5 of 9 high schools in Chula Vista, 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 Chula Vista on the city page.
Is Hilltop Senior High a good school?
Hilltop Senior High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Sweetwater Union High?
Besides Hilltop Senior High, Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students), Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students), and Sweetwater High (2,290 students). See the Sweetwater Union 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.