Enrollment
1,064
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ladera Ranch, CA
Ladera Ranch Middle
Federal NCES profile for Ladera Ranch Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060744011233
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ladera Ranch Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Ladera Ranch · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 12.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ladera Ranch Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Ranch Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ladera Ranch, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744011233 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ladera Ranch Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ladera Ranch Middle
Ladera Ranch Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Ladera Ranch, California, enrolling 1,064 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.6% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,064 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 489 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #101.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Ladera Ranch Middle.
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 Middle compares
Ladera Ranch Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.6% | ▼ 77% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,064 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,064
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.0%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 64.0%
Asian 12.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Ladera Ranch Middle 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 Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ladera Ranch Middle'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 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 (~1,064 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ladera Ranch Middle's federal record.
- Compare Ladera Ranch Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Ladera Ranch Middle?
Ladera Ranch Middle has 1,064 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ladera Ranch, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ladera Ranch Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Ladera Ranch Middle is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Ladera Ranch Middle?
12.6% of students at Ladera Ranch Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ladera Ranch Middle?
The largest demographic group at Ladera Ranch Middle is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Ladera Ranch, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ladera Ranch Middle?
Ladera Ranch Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Ladera Ranch Middle rank among public schools in Ladera Ranch?
By Resource Investment Index, Ladera Ranch Middle ranks #1 of 4 public 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 public schools in Ladera Ranch on the city page.
Is Ladera Ranch Middle a good school?
Ladera Ranch Middle earns 43/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Ladera Ranch Middle, 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.