Enrollment
1,546
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Walnut Creek, CA
Northgate High
Federal NCES profile for Northgate High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062637003961
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northgate High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Walnut Creek · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.9:1
- large classes for California
- 9.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Northgate High has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northgate High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Walnut Creek, CA.
School address
District: Mt. Diablo Unified · California
NCES ID 062637003961 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northgate High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northgate High
Northgate High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Walnut Creek, California, enrolling 1,546 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.4% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,546 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 213 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #198, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Two or More (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 20 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 773 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Walnut Creek's high schools, it stands alongside Las Lomas High (1,577 students): Northgate High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.9:1 vs 20:1).
Mt. Diablo Unified also operates College Park High (1,948 students) and Mt. Diablo High (1,397 students) alongside Northgate 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 Northgate High compares
Northgate 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 | 24.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.4% | ▼ 83% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,546 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.9:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,546
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% 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
24.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
14.7%
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
$13,649
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 773 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
White 46.0%
Two or More 18.6%
Asian 16.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 46.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Northgate 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 Mt. Diablo Unified, which includes Northgate High.
$13,649
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 43.9%
Federal 9.4%
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 Northgate High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt. Diablo High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Concord High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ygnacio Valley High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foothill Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northgate High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,948
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,397
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,005
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in Walnut Creek
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 California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,546 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northgate High's federal record.
- Compare Northgate High against another school. Compare schools
- Mt. Diablo 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 Northgate High
How many students attend Northgate High?
Northgate High has 1,546 students enrolled. It is a high school in Walnut Creek, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northgate High?
The student-teacher ratio at Northgate High is 24.9:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northgate High?
9.4% of students at Northgate High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northgate High?
The largest demographic group at Northgate High is White at 46.0% of enrollment, in Walnut Creek, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northgate High?
Northgate High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Northgate High rank among high schools in Walnut Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Northgate High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek on the city page.
Is Northgate High a good school?
Northgate High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Mt. Diablo Unified?
Besides Northgate High, Mt. Diablo Unified also operates College Park High (1,948 students), Mt. Diablo High (1,397 students), and Concord High (1,137 students). See the Mt. Diablo 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.