Enrollment
891
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mason City, IA
Mason City High School
Federal NCES profile for Mason City High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191878001107
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mason City High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in Mason City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 39.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Mason City High School has class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mason City High School ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Mason City, IA.
School address
District: Mason City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191878001107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mason City High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mason City High School
Mason City High School is a large high school in Mason City, Iowa, enrolling 891 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 94% of state schools at 891 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 89 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #60.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 451 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 891 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mason City's high schools, it stands alongside Alternative School (91 students): Mason City High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 18.2:1).
Mason City Comm School District also operates Lincoln Intermediate (485 students) and John Adams Middle School (463 students) alongside Mason City High School.
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 Mason City High School compares
Mason City High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.2% | ▲ 8% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 891 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
891
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 76% in Iowa - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
53.4%
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
$15,108
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
292
in-school suspensions + 159 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 70.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
African American 6.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.7%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 70.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Mason City High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mason City Comm School District, which includes Mason City High School.
$15,108
Per student
+18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.1%
State 44.8%
Federal 11.2%
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 Mason City High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Intermediate | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Adams Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harding Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hoover Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mason City High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Mason City
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~891 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mason City High School's federal record.
- Compare Mason City High School against another school. Compare schools
- Mason City Comm School District'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 Mason City High School
How many students attend Mason City High School?
Mason City High School has 891 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mason City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mason City High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mason City High School is 15.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mason City High School?
39.2% of students at Mason City High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mason City High School?
The largest demographic group at Mason City High School is White at 70.9% of enrollment, in Mason City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mason City High School?
Mason City High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Mason City High School rank among public schools in Mason City?
By Resource Investment Index, Mason City High School ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Mason City, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Mason City on the city page.
Is Mason City High School a good school?
Mason City High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa 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 Mason City Comm School District?
Besides Mason City High School, Mason City Comm School District also operates Lincoln Intermediate (485 students), John Adams Middle School (463 students), and Harding Elementary School (387 students). See the Mason City Comm School District 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.