Enrollment
436
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Oakland, CA
Life Academy
Federal NCES profile for Life Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 062805008676
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Life Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 14
- schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- small classes for California
- 86.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Life Academy has class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Life Academy ranks #6 of 14 schools in Oakland, CA.
School address
District: Oakland Unified · California
NCES ID 062805008676 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Life Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Life Academy
Life Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Oakland, California, enrolling 436 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.1% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 436 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,655 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #433.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Oakland Unified spends $20,552 per pupil, 24% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Oakland's public schools, it stands alongside Coliseum College Prep Academy (861 students): Life Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 17.2:1).
Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students) and Oakland High (1,579 students) alongside Life Academy.
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 Life Academy compares
Life Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.1% | ▲ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 16% in California - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,552
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 436 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Hispanic or Latino 92.0%
African American 3.7%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More 1.6%
White 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.1, Life Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oakland Unified, which includes Life Academy.
$20,552
Per student
+24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 42.5%
Federal 14.7%
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 Life Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Technical High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fremont High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coliseum College Prep Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Life Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,812
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,579
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Oakland
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Coliseum College Prep Academy
Standard public school
861 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Oakland School for the Arts
Standard public school
828 students 23:1 students per teacher
Lodestar: a Lighthouse Community Charter Public
Standard public school
723 students 19:1 students per teacher
Madison Park Academy 6-12
Standard public school
676 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Independent Study Sojourner Truth
Alternative education program
481 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Oakland Military Institute College Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
480 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~436 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Life Academy's federal record.
- Compare Life Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Oakland 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 Life Academy
How many students attend Life Academy?
Life Academy has 436 students enrolled. It is a public school in Oakland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Life Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Life Academy is 16.8:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 7% 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 Life Academy?
86.1% of students at Life Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Life Academy?
The largest demographic group at Life Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 92.0% of enrollment, in Oakland, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Life Academy?
Life Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Life Academy rank among schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Life Academy ranks #6 of 14 schools in Oakland, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Oakland on the city page.
Is Life Academy a good school?
Life Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Oakland Unified?
Besides Life Academy, Oakland Unified also operates Oakland Technical High (1,812 students), Oakland High (1,579 students), and Skyline High (1,250 students). See the Oakland 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.