Enrollment
832
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Barbara, CA
La Colina Junior High
Federal NCES profile for La Colina Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060141406022
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Colina Junior High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Santa Barbara · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.3:1
- students per teacher
- 30.6%
- free-lunch eligible
La Colina Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Colina Junior High ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Santa Barbara, CA.
School address
District: Santa Barbara Unified · California
NCES ID 060141406022 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Colina Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Colina Junior High
La Colina Junior High is a mid-sized middle school in Santa Barbara, California, enrolling 832 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 832 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,134 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #65, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Santa Barbara's middle schools, it stands alongside Santa Barbara Junior High (512 students): La Colina Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.3:1 vs 16:1).
Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students) and San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students) alongside La Colina Junior 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 La Colina Junior High compares
La Colina Junior 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 | 20.3:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 45% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 832 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
832
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in California - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,366
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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
White 49.1%
Hispanic or Latino 40.1%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, La Colina Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Barbara Unified, which includes La Colina Junior High.
$16,366
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.3%
State 18.5%
Federal 9.2%
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 La Colina Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dos Pueblos Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santa Barbara Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Goleta Valley Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santa Barbara Junior High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Colina Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,149
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,926
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,924
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Barbara
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~832 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Colina Junior High's federal record.
- Compare La Colina Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Barbara 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 La Colina Junior High
How many students attend La Colina Junior High?
La Colina Junior High has 832 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Barbara, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Colina Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at La Colina Junior High is 20.3:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 La Colina Junior High?
30.6% of students at La Colina Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Colina Junior High?
The largest demographic group at La Colina Junior High is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Santa Barbara, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Colina Junior High?
La Colina Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does La Colina Junior High rank among middle schools in Santa Barbara?
By Resource Investment Index, La Colina Junior High ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Santa Barbara, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Santa Barbara on the city page.
Is La Colina Junior High a good school?
La Colina Junior High earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California 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 Santa Barbara Unified?
Besides La Colina Junior High, Santa Barbara Unified also operates Dos Pueblos Senior High (2,149 students), San Marcos Senior High (1,926 students), and Santa Barbara Senior High (1,924 students). See the Santa Barbara 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.