Enrollment
2,425
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · La Quinta, CA
La Quinta High
Federal NCES profile for La Quinta High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061111003582
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Quinta High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in La Quinta · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24:1
- large classes for California
- 55.8%
- free-lunch eligible
La Quinta High has class sizes larger than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Quinta High ranks #3 of 8 public schools in La Quinta, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111003582 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
101.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Quinta High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Quinta High
La Quinta High is a higher-need, large high school in La Quinta, California, enrolling 2,425 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,425 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 264 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #123.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (16%) (diversity index 39/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 391 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among La Quinta's high schools, it stands alongside Summit High (Continuation) (195 students): La Quinta High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24:1 vs 16.3:1).
Desert Sands Unified also operates Palm Desert High (2,079 students) and Indio High (1,962 students) alongside La Quinta 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 Quinta High compares
La Quinta 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 | 24:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.8% | ▲ 1% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,425 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,425
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 71% in California - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$15,695
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.2 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 122 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 expulsions.
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 76.7%
White 15.9%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, La Quinta High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Unified, which includes La Quinta High.
$15,695
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 50.5%
Federal 11.0%
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 Quinta High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Desert High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Glenn Middle School of International Studies | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Quinta High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,962
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,099
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools in La Quinta
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 California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,425 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Quinta High's federal record.
- Compare La Quinta High against another school. Compare schools
- Desert Sands 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 Quinta High
How many students attend La Quinta High?
La Quinta High has 2,425 students enrolled. It is a high school in La Quinta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Quinta High?
The student-teacher ratio at La Quinta High is 24:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at La Quinta High?
55.8% of students at La Quinta High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Quinta High?
The largest demographic group at La Quinta High is Hispanic or Latino at 76.7% of enrollment, in La Quinta, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Quinta High?
La Quinta High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does La Quinta High rank among public schools in La Quinta?
By Resource Investment Index, La Quinta High ranks #3 of 8 public schools in La Quinta, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in La Quinta on the city page.
Is La Quinta High a good school?
La Quinta High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Desert Sands Unified?
Besides La Quinta High, Desert Sands Unified also operates Palm Desert High (2,079 students), Indio High (1,962 students), and Shadow Hills High (1,650 students). See the Desert Sands 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.