Enrollment
2,688
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lancaster, CA
Lancaster High
Federal NCES profile for Lancaster High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060282004582
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lancaster High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #7 of 8
- high schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 55.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lancaster High has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster High ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Antelope Valley Union High · California
NCES ID 060282004582 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
108.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lancaster High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lancaster High
Lancaster High is a higher-need, large high school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 2,688 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.4% 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 2,688 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 223 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #206, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lancaster's high schools, it stands alongside Eastside High (2,631 students): Lancaster High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.9:1 vs 25.3:1).
Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students) and Highland High (2,706 students) alongside Lancaster 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 Lancaster High compares
Lancaster 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▼ 0% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,688 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,688
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$15,679
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 384 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 273 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 58.1%
African American 23.0%
White 9.6%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, Lancaster High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Antelope Valley Union High, which includes Lancaster High.
$15,679
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 64.5%
Federal 15.3%
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 Lancaster High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz Hill High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palmdale High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lancaster High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,175
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,706
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 2,631
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,349
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,208
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Lancaster
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Eastside High
Standard public school
2,631 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Antelope Valley High
Standard public school
1,498 students 22:1 students per teacher
Desert Sands Charter
Standard public school
727 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Soar High (Students on Academic Rise)
Alternative education program
670 students 39.4:1 students per teacher
Desert Winds Continuation High
Alternative education program
605 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Empower Generations
Standard public school
81 students 20.3:1 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 (~2,688 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lancaster High's federal record.
- Compare Lancaster High against another school. Compare schools
- Antelope Valley Union High'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 Lancaster High
How many students attend Lancaster High?
Lancaster High has 2,688 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lancaster High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lancaster High is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lancaster High?
55.4% of students at Lancaster High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lancaster High?
The largest demographic group at Lancaster High is Hispanic or Latino at 58.1% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lancaster High?
Lancaster High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Lancaster High rank among high schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster High ranks #7 of 8 high schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Lancaster High a good school?
Lancaster High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Antelope Valley Union High?
Besides Lancaster High, Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students), Highland High (2,706 students), and Eastside High (2,631 students). See the Antelope Valley Union High 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.