Enrollment
1,287
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Novato, CA
Novato High
Federal NCES profile for Novato High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062772004191
👥 S:T ratio 17
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Novato High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.8:1
- students per teacher
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Novato High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Novato High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Novato High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Novato High
Novato High is a large high school in Novato, California, enrolling 1,287 students.
At 20.8:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,287 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 534 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #49, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (36%) (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 322 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Novato's high schools, it stands alongside San Marin High (1,250 students): Novato High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.8:1 vs 23.6:1).
Novato Unified also operates San Marin High (1,250 students) and Sinaloa Middle (693 students) alongside Novato 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 Novato High compares
Novato 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 | 20.8:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,287 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,287
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,065
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 322 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 50.0%
White 35.6%
Asian 5.7%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Novato High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes Novato High.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Novato High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marin High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pleasant Valley Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Novato High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,250
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Novato
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 (~1,287 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Novato High's federal record.
- Compare Novato High against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Novato High
How many students attend Novato High?
Novato High has 1,287 students enrolled. It is a high school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Novato High?
The student-teacher ratio at Novato High is 20.8:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% 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 Novato High?
31.6% of students at Novato High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Novato High?
The largest demographic group at Novato High is Hispanic or Latino at 50.0% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Novato High?
Novato High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Novato High rank among high schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, Novato High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is Novato High a good school?
Novato High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Novato Unified?
Besides Novato High, Novato Unified also operates San Marin High (1,250 students), Sinaloa Middle (693 students), and San Jose Intermediate (559 students). See the Novato 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.