Enrollment
2,473
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Manhattan Beach, CA
Mira Costa High
Federal NCES profile for Mira Costa High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060002506328
👥 S:T ratio 8
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mira Costa High earns 59/100 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
- public schools in Manhattan Beach · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 23.1:1
- students per teacher
- 6.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Mira Costa High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mira Costa High ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Manhattan Beach, CA.
School address
District: Manhattan Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 060002506328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
107.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mira Costa High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mira Costa High
Mira Costa High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Manhattan Beach, California, enrolling 2,473 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.1% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,473 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 98 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Manhattan Beach Unified also operates Manhattan Beach Middle (1,175 students) and Grand View Elementary (550 students) alongside Mira Costa 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 Mira Costa High compares
Mira Costa 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 | 6.1% | ▼ 89% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,473 | top 1% | - | - |
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.
2,473
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% 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
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
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors8.5 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 59.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Two or More 13.4%
Asian 11.2%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Mira Costa High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Manhattan Beach Unified, which includes Mira Costa High.
$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 Mira Costa High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Beach Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower 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 Mira Costa High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,175
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- 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 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 (~2,473 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mira Costa High's federal record.
- Compare Mira Costa High 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 Mira Costa High
How many students attend Mira Costa High?
Mira Costa High has 2,473 students enrolled. It is a high school in Manhattan Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mira Costa High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mira Costa 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 Mira Costa High?
6.1% of students at Mira Costa High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mira Costa High?
The largest demographic group at Mira Costa High is White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Manhattan Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mira Costa High?
Mira Costa High has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Mira Costa High rank among public schools in Manhattan Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Mira Costa High ranks #6 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 Mira Costa High a good school?
Mira Costa High earns 59/100 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 Manhattan Beach Unified?
Besides Mira Costa High, Manhattan Beach Unified also operates Manhattan Beach Middle (1,175 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.