Enrollment
522
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oceanside, CA
Nichols Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nichols Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 8/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062825010645
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nichols Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #19 of 23
- elementary schools in Oceanside · Resource Index
- 8
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.5:1
- large classes for California
- 55.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Nichols Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Elementary ranks #19 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, CA.
School address
District: Oceanside Unified · California
NCES ID 062825010645 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nichols Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nichols Elementary
Nichols Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Oceanside, California, enrolling 522 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.5:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.4% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 522 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,700 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,675, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (17%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 522 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Oceanside's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820 students): Nichols Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.5:1 vs 21.6:1).
Oceanside Unified also operates El Camino High (2,463 students) and Oceanside High (1,948 students) alongside Nichols Elementary.
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 Nichols Elementary compares
Nichols Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.5:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▼ 0% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.5:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
522
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
27.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
43.3%
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
$16,024
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 522 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 56.9%
White 16.5%
Two or More 13.4%
Asian 7.5%
African American 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Nichols Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oceanside Unified, which includes Nichols Elementary.
$16,024
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 48.8%
Federal 13.8%
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 Nichols Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oceanside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Terrace Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Louise Foussat Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nichols Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 34.3:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
Similar elementary schools in Oceanside
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary
Standard public school
820 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
North Terrace Elementary
Standard public school
771 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Louise Foussat Elementary
Standard public school
755 students 34.3:1 students per teacher
Empresa Elementary
Standard public school
705 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Ivey Ranch Elementary
Standard public school
698 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Elementary
Standard public school
696 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~522 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nichols Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nichols Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oceanside 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 Nichols Elementary
How many students attend Nichols Elementary?
Nichols Elementary has 522 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oceanside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nichols Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nichols Elementary is 27.5:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nichols Elementary?
55.4% of students at Nichols Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nichols Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nichols Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 56.9% of enrollment, in Oceanside, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nichols Elementary?
Nichols Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 8/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Nichols Elementary rank among elementary schools in Oceanside?
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Elementary ranks #19 of 23 elementary schools in Oceanside, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Oceanside on the city page.
Is Nichols Elementary a good school?
Nichols Elementary earns 8/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. 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 Oceanside Unified?
Besides Nichols Elementary, Oceanside Unified also operates El Camino High (2,463 students), Oceanside High (1,948 students), and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle (1,098 students). See the Oceanside 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.