Enrollment
1,846
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Des Moines, WA
Mount Rainier High School
Federal NCES profile for Mount Rainier High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530354000538
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mount Rainier High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24:1
- large classes for Washington
- 53.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mount Rainier High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mount Rainier High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Des Moines, WA.
School address
District: Highline School District · Washington
NCES ID 530354000538 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mount Rainier High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mount Rainier High School
Mount Rainier High School is a higher-need, large high school in Des Moines, Washington, enrolling 1,846 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24:1 is larger than about 93% of Washington schools and 36% above the 17.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,846 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (35%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 308 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Des Moines's high schools, it stands alongside Cascade Public Schools (126 students): Mount Rainier High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24:1 vs 11.5:1).
Highline School District also operates Highline High School (1,423 students) and Evergreen High School (1,080 students) alongside Mount Rainier 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 Mount Rainier High School compares
Mount Rainier High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24:1 | ▲ 36% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.0% | ▲ 18% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,846 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,846
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Washington average of 45.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 93% in Washington - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,077
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 35.4%
White 23.0%
African American 16.0%
Asian 12.5%
Two or More 9.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.0, Mount Rainier High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highline School District, which includes Mount Rainier High School.
$19,077
Per student
-2%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.7%
State 55.7%
Federal 14.6%
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 Mount Rainier High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highline High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Evergreen High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glacier Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tyee High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mount Rainier High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,423
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Des Moines
2 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 Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,846 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mount Rainier High School's federal record.
- Compare Mount Rainier High School against another school. Compare schools
- Highline 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 Mount Rainier High School
How many students attend Mount Rainier High School?
Mount Rainier High School has 1,846 students enrolled. It is a high school in Des Moines, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mount Rainier High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mount Rainier High School is 24:1, which is 36% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mount Rainier High School?
53.0% of students at Mount Rainier High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mount Rainier High School?
The largest demographic group at Mount Rainier High School is Hispanic or Latino at 35.4% of enrollment, in Des Moines, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mount Rainier High School?
Mount Rainier High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mount Rainier High School rank among high schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Mount Rainier High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Des Moines, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Des Moines on the city page.
Is Mount Rainier High School a good school?
Mount Rainier High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Washington schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Washington. 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 Highline School District?
Besides Mount Rainier High School, Highline School District also operates Highline High School (1,423 students), Evergreen High School (1,080 students), and Glacier Middle School (803 students). See the Highline 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.