Enrollment
2,751
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Marcos, CA
Mission Hills High
Federal NCES profile for Mission Hills High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063488011404
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mission Hills High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 5
- high schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 25.7:1
- large classes for California
- 43.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mission Hills High has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Hills High ranks #2 of 5 high schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488011404 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
107.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mission Hills High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mission Hills High
Mission Hills High is a large high school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 2,751 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.7:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,751 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 189 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (28%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Marcos's high schools, it stands alongside San Marcos High (3,067 students): Mission Hills High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.7:1 vs 24.5:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and San Elijo Middle (1,395 students) alongside Mission Hills 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 Mission Hills High compares
Mission Hills 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 | 25.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.4% | ▼ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,751 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.7:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,751
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
10.1%
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
$13,965
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
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 137 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 55.7%
White 28.2%
Asian 7.9%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Mission Hills High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes Mission Hills High.
$13,965
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.8%
Federal 10.5%
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 Mission Hills High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mission Hills High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,067
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,395
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 968
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in San Marcos
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
San Marcos High
Standard public school
3,067 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
High Tech High North County
Standard public school
409 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Twin Oaks High
Alternative education program
192 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Foothills High
Alternative education program
101 students 20.2:1 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 (~2,751 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mission Hills High's federal record.
- Compare Mission Hills High against another school. Compare schools
- San Marcos 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 Mission Hills High
How many students attend Mission Hills High?
Mission Hills High has 2,751 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mission Hills High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mission Hills High is 25.7:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mission Hills High?
43.4% of students at Mission Hills High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mission Hills High?
The largest demographic group at Mission Hills High is Hispanic or Latino at 55.7% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mission Hills High?
Mission Hills High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Mission Hills High rank among high schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Hills High ranks #2 of 5 high schools in San Marcos, 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 Marcos on the city page.
Is Mission Hills High a good school?
Mission Hills High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. 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 Marcos Unified?
Besides Mission Hills High, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), San Elijo Middle (1,395 students), and Woodland Park Middle (1,184 students). See the San Marcos 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.