Enrollment
1,800
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Diego, CA
Mt. Carmel High
Federal NCES profile for Mt. Carmel High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063153004890
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mt. Carmel High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #17 of 41
- high schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- students per teacher
- 15.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mt. Carmel High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mt. Carmel High ranks #17 of 41 high schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004890 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mt. Carmel High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mt. Carmel High
Mt. Carmel High is a lower-poverty, large high school in San Diego, California, enrolling 1,800 students.
At 22.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.9% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,800 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 235 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #156.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Asian (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Diego's high schools, it stands alongside Del Norte High (2,557 students): Mt. Carmel High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.5:1 vs 26.9:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Mt. Carmel 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 Mt. Carmel High compares
Mt. Carmel 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.9% | ▼ 71% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,800 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,800
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 58% in California - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,960
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 36.6%
Asian 26.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 13.8%
African American 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 36.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.8, Mt. Carmel High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 20
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Mt. Carmel High.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Mt. Carmel High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Valley Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mt. Carmel High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,503
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools in San Diego
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Del Norte High
Standard public school
2,557 students 26.9:1 students per teacher
Torrey Pines High
Standard public school
2,536 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Henry High
Standard public school
2,485 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
Rancho Bernardo High
Standard public school
2,210 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Mira Mesa High
Standard public school
2,187 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Canyon Crest Academy
Standard public school
2,147 students 25.3:1 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 (~1,800 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mt. Carmel High's federal record.
- Compare Mt. Carmel High against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Mt. Carmel High
How many students attend Mt. Carmel High?
Mt. Carmel High has 1,800 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mt. Carmel High?
The student-teacher ratio at Mt. Carmel High is 22.5:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mt. Carmel High?
15.9% of students at Mt. Carmel High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mt. Carmel High?
The largest demographic group at Mt. Carmel High is White at 36.6% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mt. Carmel High?
Mt. Carmel High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Mt. Carmel High rank among high schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Mt. Carmel High ranks #17 of 41 high schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Mt. Carmel High a good school?
Mt. Carmel High earns 45/100 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Mt. Carmel High, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.