Enrollment
2,237
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Los Angeles, CA
James a. Garfield Senior High
Federal NCES profile for James a. Garfield Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062271003037
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James a. Garfield Senior High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #46 of 122
- high schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- small classes for California
- 91.3%
- free-lunch eligible
James a. Garfield Senior High has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Garfield Senior High ranks #46 of 122 high schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003037 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
128.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James a. Garfield Senior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James a. Garfield Senior High
James a. Garfield Senior High is a high-poverty, large high school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 2,237 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 91.3% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,237 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 75 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's high schools, it stands alongside Venice Senior High (2,293 students): James a. Garfield Senior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 24.4:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside James a. Garfield 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 James a. Garfield Senior High compares
James a. Garfield 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.3% | ▲ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,237 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,237
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors10.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 97.5%
White 1.3%
African American 0.5%
Two or More 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.9, James a. Garfield Senior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes James a. Garfield Senior High.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 James a. Garfield Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James a. Garfield Senior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Venice Senior High
Standard public school
2,293 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Alexander Hamilton Senior High
Standard public school
2,055 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
John C. Fremont Senior High
Standard public school
1,889 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
John Marshall Senior High
Standard public school
1,842 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Theodore Roosevelt Senior High
Standard public school
1,678 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Santee Education Complex
Standard public school
1,582 students 18.4:1 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 (~2,237 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James a. Garfield Senior High's federal record.
- Compare James a. Garfield Senior High against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles Unified'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 James a. Garfield Senior High
How many students attend James a. Garfield Senior High?
James a. Garfield Senior High has 2,237 students enrolled. It is a high school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James a. Garfield Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at James a. Garfield Senior High is 17.5:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James a. Garfield Senior High?
91.3% of students at James a. Garfield Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James a. Garfield Senior High?
The largest demographic group at James a. Garfield Senior High is Hispanic or Latino at 97.5% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James a. Garfield Senior High?
James a. Garfield Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 James a. Garfield Senior High rank among high schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Garfield Senior High ranks #46 of 122 high schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is James a. Garfield Senior High a good school?
James a. Garfield Senior High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides James a. Garfield Senior High, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles Unified 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.