Enrollment
288
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santa Ana, CA
Nova Academy Early College High
Federal NCES profile for Nova Academy Early College High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060156510989Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nova Academy Early College High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 12
- high schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 79.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Nova Academy Early College High has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Academy Early College High ranks #10 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Nova Academy Early College High District · California
NCES ID 060156510989 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nova Academy Early College High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nova Academy Early College High
Nova Academy Early College High is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 288 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 288 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,091 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #282.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 144 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Santa Ana's high schools, it stands alongside Santa Ana High (2,505 students): Nova Academy Early College High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 18.6:1).
Nova Academy Early College High District is a single-school charter district, so Nova Academy Early College High operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Nova Academy Early College High compares
Nova Academy Early College 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 | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.5% | ▲ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
288
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.0%
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
$19,275
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 144 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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 94.4%
Two or More 2.4%
White 1.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.8, Nova Academy Early College High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nova Academy Early College High District, which includes Nova Academy Early College High.
$19,275
Per student
+17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.6%
State 64.3%
Federal 15.1%
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.
Similar high schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Santa Ana High
Standard public school
2,505 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Segerstrom High
Standard public school
2,376 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Foothill High
Standard public school
2,126 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Valley High
Standard public school
1,908 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Hector G. Godinez
Standard public school
1,687 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Century High
Standard public school
1,519 students 15.7:1 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 (~288 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nova Academy Early College High's federal record.
- Compare Nova Academy Early College High against another school. Compare schools
- Nova Academy Early College High 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 Nova Academy Early College High
How many students attend Nova Academy Early College High?
Nova Academy Early College High has 288 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nova Academy Early College High?
The student-teacher ratio at Nova Academy Early College High is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nova Academy Early College High?
79.5% of students at Nova Academy Early College High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nova Academy Early College High?
The largest demographic group at Nova Academy Early College High is Hispanic or Latino at 94.4% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nova Academy Early College High?
Nova Academy Early College High has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Nova Academy Early College High rank among high schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Academy Early College High ranks #10 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Nova Academy Early College High a good school?
Nova Academy Early College High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. It is also less 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 Nova Academy Early College High District?
None; Nova Academy Early College High District is a single-school charter district, and Nova Academy Early College High is its only campus.
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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.