Enrollment
6,760
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Poway, CA
Pacific Coast Academy
Federal NCES profile for Pacific Coast Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060196114103Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pacific Coast Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 13
- public schools in Poway · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 45.1:1
- large classes for California
- 31.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pacific Coast Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pacific Coast Academy ranks #3 of 13 public schools in Poway, CA.
School address
District: Pacific Coast Academy District · California
NCES ID 060196114103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
150.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
45.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+110% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pacific Coast Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pacific Coast Academy
Pacific Coast Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Poway, California, enrolling 6,760 students.
Class loads run heavy: 45.1:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 110% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 6,760 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 2926 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Pacific Coast Academy District spends $11,034 per pupil, 33% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Poway's public schools, it stands alongside Cabrillo Point Academy (5,706 students): Pacific Coast Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (45.1:1 vs 39.4:1).
Pacific Coast Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Pacific Coast Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 6,760 students, it is also among the largest single-school districts in California, well beyond the enrollment of a typical standalone charter.
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 Pacific Coast Academy compares
Pacific Coast Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 45.1:1 | ▲ 110% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.4% | ▼ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 6,760 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
45.1:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
6,760
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.4%
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
45.1:1
students per teacher
- 110% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
1.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,034
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 2926 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 52.9%
Hispanic or Latino 31.1%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 4.2%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 52.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Pacific Coast Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pacific Coast Academy District, which includes Pacific Coast Academy.
$11,034
Per student
-33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 7.6%
State 82.3%
Federal 10.0%
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 other schools in Poway
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~6,760 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pacific Coast Academy's federal record.
- Compare Pacific Coast Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Pacific Coast Academy 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 Pacific Coast Academy
How many students attend Pacific Coast Academy?
Pacific Coast Academy has 6,760 students enrolled. It is a public school in Poway, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pacific Coast Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Pacific Coast Academy is 45.1:1, which is 110% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 187% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pacific Coast Academy?
31.4% of students at Pacific Coast Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pacific Coast Academy?
The largest demographic group at Pacific Coast Academy is White at 52.9% of enrollment, in Poway, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pacific Coast Academy?
Pacific Coast Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Pacific Coast Academy rank among public schools in Poway?
By Resource Investment Index, Pacific Coast Academy ranks #3 of 13 public schools in Poway, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Poway on the city page.
Is Pacific Coast Academy a good school?
Pacific Coast Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. 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 Pacific Coast Academy District?
None; Pacific Coast Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Pacific Coast Academy is its only campus.
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.