Enrollment
2,571
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Francisco, CA
Lowell High
Federal NCES profile for Lowell High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063441005643
👥 S:T ratio 6
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowell High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #9 of 21
- high schools in San Francisco · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 23.4:1
- students per teacher
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowell High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell High ranks #9 of 21 high schools in San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063441005643 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
110.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowell High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowell High
Lowell High is a large high school in San Francisco, California, enrolling 2,571 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,571 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by Asian (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 66/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 26 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 510 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding San Francisco Unified spends $23,654 per pupil, 43% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among San Francisco's high schools, it stands alongside Five Keys Independence Hs (Sf Sheriff's) (3,447 students): Lowell High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.4:1 vs 61.6:1).
San Francisco Unified also operates Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students) and Washington (George) High (2,068 students) alongside Lowell 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 Lowell High compares
Lowell 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 | 23.4:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▼ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,571 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.4:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,571
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 66% in California - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$23,654
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 510 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
Asian 52.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
White 15.5%
Two or More 12.3%
African American 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.6, Lowell High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 26
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Francisco Unified, which includes Lowell High.
$23,654
Per student
+43%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 31.2%
Federal 12.0%
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 Lowell High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln (Abraham) High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington (George) High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Galileo High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Balboa High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Giannini (a.P.) Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowell High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,074
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,183
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in San Francisco
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Five Keys Independence Hs (Sf Sheriff's)
Standard public school
3,447 students 61.6:1 students per teacher
Lincoln (Abraham) High
Standard public school
2,074 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Washington (George) High
Standard public school
2,068 students 24:1 students per teacher
Galileo High
Standard public school
1,750 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Balboa High
Standard public school
1,238 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Burton (Phillip and Sala) Academic High
Standard public school
1,047 students 20.1:1 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 (~2,571 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowell High's federal record.
- Compare Lowell High against another school. Compare schools
- San Francisco 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 Lowell High
How many students attend Lowell High?
Lowell High has 2,571 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowell High is 23.4:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 49% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lowell High?
32.1% of students at Lowell High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowell High?
The largest demographic group at Lowell High is Asian at 52.4% of enrollment, in San Francisco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowell High?
Lowell High has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lowell High rank among high schools in San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell High ranks #9 of 21 high schools in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco on the city page.
Is Lowell High a good school?
Lowell High earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Francisco Unified?
Besides Lowell High, San Francisco Unified also operates Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students), Washington (George) High (2,068 students), and Galileo High (1,750 students). See the San Francisco 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.