Enrollment
1,943
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Merced, CA
Merced High
Federal NCES profile for Merced High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062466003702
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merced High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #6 of 7
- high schools in Merced · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 68.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Merced High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merced High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Merced, CA.
School address
District: Merced Union High · California
NCES ID 062466003702 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merced High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merced High
Merced High is a higher-need, large high school in Merced, California, enrolling 1,943 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,943 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #262, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and White (14%) (diversity index 50/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 486 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Merced's high schools, it stands alongside Golden Valley High (1,917 students): Merced High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.1:1 vs 21.5:1).
Merced Union High also operates Atwater High (2,029 students) and Golden Valley High (1,917 students) alongside Merced 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 Merced High compares
Merced 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.4% | ▲ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,943 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,943
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 63% in California - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
46.6%
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
$14,866
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 486 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 68.4%
White 13.5%
Asian 7.3%
African American 5.5%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Merced High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merced Union High, which includes Merced High.
$14,866
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 67.1%
Federal 13.0%
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 Merced High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atwater High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Capitan High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buhach Colony High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Livingston High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merced High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,029
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,793
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,704
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in Merced
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Golden Valley High
Standard public school
1,917 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
El Capitan High
Standard public school
1,793 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Yosemite High (Continuation)
Alternative education program
342 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Come Back Charter
Standard public school
128 students 42.7:1 students per teacher
Independence High (Alternative)
Alternative education program
87 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
Sequoia High
Alternative education program
77 students 8.6:1 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 (~1,943 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merced High's federal record.
- Compare Merced High against another school. Compare schools
- Merced 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 Merced High
How many students attend Merced High?
Merced High has 1,943 students enrolled. It is a high school in Merced, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merced High?
The student-teacher ratio at Merced High is 23.1:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merced High?
68.4% of students at Merced High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merced High?
The largest demographic group at Merced High is Hispanic or Latino at 68.4% of enrollment, in Merced, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merced High?
Merced High has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Merced High rank among high schools in Merced?
By Resource Investment Index, Merced High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Merced, 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 Merced on the city page.
Is Merced High a good school?
Merced High earns 28/100 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 Merced Union High?
Besides Merced High, Merced Union High also operates Atwater High (2,029 students), Golden Valley High (1,917 students), and El Capitan High (1,793 students). See the Merced 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.