Enrollment
820
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mcallen, TX
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory
Federal NCES profile for Idea Mcallen College Preparatory, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 480021112679Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #26 of 31
- schools in Mcallen · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Texas
- 76.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory has class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Mcallen College Preparatory ranks #26 of 31 schools in Mcallen, TX.
School address
District: Idea Public Schools · Texas
NCES ID 480021112679 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.5%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Idea Mcallen College Preparatory compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Mcallen, Texas, enrolling 820 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 820 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,675 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,263, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Idea Public Schools also operates Idea College Preparatory Pharr (848 students) and Idea Montopolis College Preparatory (835 students) alongside Idea Mcallen College Preparatory.
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 Idea Mcallen College Preparatory compares
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.5% | ▲ 24% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 820 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
820
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 85% in Texas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$11,912
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 95.2%
White 3.2%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.3, Idea Mcallen College Preparatory is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Idea Public Schools, which includes Idea Mcallen College Preparatory.
$11,912
Per student
-13%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.8%
State 76.8%
Federal 20.4%
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 Idea Mcallen College Preparatory Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea College Preparatory Pharr | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Idea Montopolis College Preparatory | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Idea College Prep | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea Riverview College Preparatory | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Idea College Preparatory Mission | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Idea Mcallen College Preparatory's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~820 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Idea Mcallen College Preparatory's federal record.
- Compare Idea Mcallen College Preparatory against another school. Compare schools
- Idea Public 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 Idea Mcallen College Preparatory
How many students attend Idea Mcallen College Preparatory?
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory has 820 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mcallen, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory?
The student-teacher ratio at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory is 17.8:1, which is 21% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory?
76.5% of students at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Idea Mcallen College Preparatory?
The largest demographic group at Idea Mcallen College Preparatory is Hispanic or Latino at 95.2% of enrollment, in Mcallen, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Idea Mcallen College Preparatory?
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Idea Mcallen College Preparatory rank among schools in Mcallen?
By Resource Investment Index, Idea Mcallen College Preparatory ranks #26 of 31 schools in Mcallen, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mcallen on the city page.
Is Idea Mcallen College Preparatory a good school?
Idea Mcallen College Preparatory earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Texas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Idea Public Schools?
Besides Idea Mcallen College Preparatory, Idea Public Schools also operates Idea College Preparatory Pharr (848 students), Idea Montopolis College Preparatory (835 students), and Idea College Prep (823 students). See the Idea Public 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.