Enrollment
1,966
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Brighton, CO
Horizon High School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080690001491
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Brighton · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.1:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 17.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Brighton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690001491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon High School
Horizon High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Brighton, Colorado, enrolling 1,966 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.1:1 is larger than about 86% of Colorado schools and 21% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 17.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,966 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 59 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 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: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students) and Northglenn High School (1,844 students) alongside Horizon 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 Horizon High School compares
Horizon High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.1:1 | ▲ 21% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.7% | ▼ 54% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,966 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,966
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Colorado - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.0%
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
$13,222
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 281 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 144 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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
White 53.0%
Hispanic or Latino 35.2%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 4.9%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.0, Horizon High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Horizon High School.
$13,222
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.8%
Federal 9.8%
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 Horizon High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northglenn High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prospect Ridge Academy | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,052
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,572
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,478
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,966 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon High School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon High School against another school. Compare schools
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools'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 Horizon High School
How many students attend Horizon High School?
Horizon High School has 1,966 students enrolled. It is a high school in Brighton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon High School is 20.1:1, which is 21% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizon High School?
17.7% of students at Horizon High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon High School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon High School is White at 53.0% of enrollment, in Brighton, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon High School?
Horizon High School 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 Horizon High School rank among high schools in Brighton?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Brighton, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Brighton on the city page.
Is Horizon High School a good school?
Horizon High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools?
Besides Horizon High School, Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students), Northglenn High School (1,844 students), and Mountain Range High School (1,788 students). See the Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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.