Enrollment
1,175
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Manhattan Beach, CA
Manhattan Beach Middle
Federal NCES profile for Manhattan Beach Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060002507535
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Manhattan Beach Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Manhattan Beach · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 21.4:1
- students per teacher
- 4.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Manhattan Beach Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Manhattan Beach Middle ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Manhattan Beach, CA.
School address
District: Manhattan Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 060002507535 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-92% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Manhattan Beach Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Manhattan Beach Middle
Manhattan Beach Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Manhattan Beach, California, enrolling 1,175 students.
At 21.4:1, 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, 4.2% free-meal eligibility runs 92% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,175 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 224 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (15%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Manhattan Beach Unified also operates Mira Costa High (2,473 students) and Grand View Elementary (550 students) alongside Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach Middle compares
Manhattan Beach 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 | 21.4:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.2% | ▼ 92% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,175 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,175
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 92% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,366
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.6 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 56.9%
Two or More 15.3%
Asian 13.7%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Manhattan Beach Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manhattan Beach Unified, which includes Manhattan Beach Middle.
$16,366
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.7%
State 19.8%
Federal 5.6%
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 Manhattan Beach Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mira Costa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grand View Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pacific Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadows Avenue Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Manhattan Beach Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,473
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~1,175 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Manhattan Beach Middle's federal record.
- Compare Manhattan Beach Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach Middle
How many students attend Manhattan Beach Middle?
Manhattan Beach Middle has 1,175 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Manhattan Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Manhattan Beach Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Manhattan Beach Middle is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Manhattan Beach Middle?
4.2% of students at Manhattan Beach Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Manhattan Beach Middle?
The largest demographic group at Manhattan Beach Middle is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Manhattan Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Manhattan Beach Middle?
Manhattan Beach Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Manhattan Beach Middle rank among public schools in Manhattan Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Manhattan Beach Middle ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Manhattan Beach, 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 Manhattan Beach on the city page.
Is Manhattan Beach Middle a good school?
Manhattan Beach Middle earns 51/100 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 Manhattan Beach Unified?
Besides Manhattan Beach Middle, Manhattan Beach Unified also operates Mira Costa High (2,473 students), Grand View Elementary (550 students), and Pacific Elementary (510 students). See the Manhattan Beach 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.