Enrollment
1,634
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Garden Grove, CA
Pacifica High
Federal NCES profile for Pacifica High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061488001868
👥 S:T ratio 12
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pacifica High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #1 of 6
- high schools in Garden Grove · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Pacifica High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pacifica High ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Garden Grove, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pacifica High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pacifica High
Pacifica High is a large high school in Garden Grove, California, enrolling 1,634 students.
At 22.1:1, 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 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,634 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 357 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and Asian (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Garden Grove's high schools, it stands alongside Garden Grove High (2,148 students): Pacifica High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.1:1 vs 23.1:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Pacifica 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 Pacifica High compares
Pacifica 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,634 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,634
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,783
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 36.2%
Asian 30.4%
White 26.2%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.5, Pacifica High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Pacifica High.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Pacifica High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho Alamitos High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pacifica High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,439
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Garden Grove
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Garden Grove High
Standard public school
2,148 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Bolsa Grande High
Standard public school
1,701 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Santiago High
Standard public school
1,664 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Rancho Alamitos High
Standard public school
1,439 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Jordan Secondary Learning Center
Special-education school
97 students 12.1:1 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 (~1,634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pacifica High's federal record.
- Compare Pacifica High against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Pacifica High
How many students attend Pacifica High?
Pacifica High has 1,634 students enrolled. It is a high school in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pacifica High?
The student-teacher ratio at Pacifica High is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pacifica High?
42.2% of students at Pacifica High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pacifica High?
The largest demographic group at Pacifica High is Hispanic or Latino at 36.2% of enrollment, in Garden Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pacifica High?
Pacifica High has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Pacifica High rank among high schools in Garden Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Pacifica High ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove on the city page.
Is Pacifica High a good school?
Pacifica High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Pacifica High, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.