Enrollment
1,170
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hilo, HI
Hilo High School
Federal NCES profile for Hilo High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 150003000029
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilo High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #11 of 16
- public schools in Hilo · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 45.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilo High School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilo High School ranks #11 of 16 public schools in Hilo, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.1%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilo High School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilo High School
Hilo High School is a large high school in Hilo, Hawaii, enrolling 1,170 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Hawaii, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,170 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Among 39 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #30, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 75/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 234 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hilo's high schools, it stands alongside Waiakea High School (1,183 students): Hilo High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 15.4:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Hilo 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 Hilo High School compares
Hilo High School on the metrics families compare, against Hawaii and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Hawaii | Hawaii avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.1% | ▲ 13% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,170 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,170
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 67% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$17,420
per pupil, district-wide
- above Hawaii avg of $17,420
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 234 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 38.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.4%
Two or More 19.1%
Asian 12.6%
White 7.3%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.5, Hilo High School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Hilo High School.
$17,420
Per student
+0%
vs Hawaii
Avg $17,420
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.8%
State 84.7%
Federal 14.5%
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 Hilo High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilo High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,538
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,094
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools in Hilo
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 Hawaii, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,170 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilo High School's federal record.
- Compare Hilo High School against another school. Compare schools
- Hawaii Department of Education'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 Hilo High School
How many students attend Hilo High School?
Hilo High School has 1,170 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hilo, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilo High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilo High School is 15:1, which is 6% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hilo High School?
45.1% of students at Hilo High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilo High School?
The largest demographic group at Hilo High School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 38.3% of enrollment, in Hilo, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilo High School?
Hilo High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Hilo High School rank among public schools in Hilo?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilo High School ranks #11 of 16 public schools in Hilo, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hilo on the city page.
Is Hilo High School a good school?
Hilo High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median. 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 Hawaii Department of Education?
Besides Hilo High School, Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students), Waipahu High School (2,538 students), and Mililani High School (2,382 students). See the Hawaii Department of Education 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.