Enrollment
580
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ladera Ranch, CA
Ladera Ranch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ladera Ranch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744011248
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ladera Ranch Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Ladera Ranch · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.2:1
- large classes for California
- 14.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ladera Ranch Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Ranch Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Ladera Ranch, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744011248 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ladera Ranch Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ladera Ranch Elementary
Ladera Ranch Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Ladera Ranch, California, enrolling 580 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.7% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
Enrollment of 580 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.
Against 1,156 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #279.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Two or More (15%) (diversity index 61/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Ladera Ranch's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oso Grande Elementary (867 students): Ladera Ranch Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.2:1 vs 23.4:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Ladera Ranch Elementary.
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 Ladera Ranch Elementary compares
Ladera Ranch Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.7% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 580 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
580
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 73% in California - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,421
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 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
White 57.9%
Two or More 15.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
Asian 11.7%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 57.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, Ladera Ranch Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Ladera Ranch Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Ladera Ranch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ladera Ranch Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Ladera Ranch
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~580 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ladera Ranch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ladera Ranch Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Ladera Ranch Elementary
How many students attend Ladera Ranch Elementary?
Ladera Ranch Elementary has 580 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ladera Ranch, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ladera Ranch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ladera Ranch Elementary is 24.2:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ladera Ranch Elementary?
14.7% of students at Ladera Ranch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ladera Ranch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ladera Ranch Elementary is White at 57.9% of enrollment, in Ladera Ranch, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ladera Ranch Elementary?
Ladera Ranch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ladera Ranch Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ladera Ranch?
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Ranch Elementary ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Ladera Ranch, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ladera Ranch on the city page.
Is Ladera Ranch Elementary a good school?
Ladera Ranch Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Ladera Ranch Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.