Enrollment
2,079
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palm Desert, CA
Palm Desert High
Federal NCES profile for Palm Desert High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061111008819
👥 S:T ratio 1
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palm Desert High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Palm Desert · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 42.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Palm Desert High has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Desert High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Palm Desert, CA.
School address
District: Desert Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 061111008819 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palm Desert High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palm Desert High
Palm Desert High is a large high school in Palm Desert, California, enrolling 2,079 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 2,079 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #267, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (35%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 941 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students) and Indio High (1,962 students) alongside Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert High compares
Palm Desert 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.1% | ▼ 24% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,079 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,079
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.1%
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
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
42.6%
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
$15,695
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
Counselors2.2 FTE
Per 941 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 90 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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 48.5%
White 35.3%
Asian 8.4%
Two or More 5.2%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.0, Palm Desert High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desert Sands Unified, which includes Palm Desert High.
$15,695
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 50.5%
Federal 11.0%
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.
How Palm Desert High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indio High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shadow Hills High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Glenn Middle School of International Studies | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palm Desert High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,425
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,962
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,650
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,099
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
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 (~2,079 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palm Desert High's federal record.
- Compare Palm Desert High against another school. Compare schools
- Desert Sands 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 Palm Desert High
How many students attend Palm Desert High?
Palm Desert High has 2,079 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palm Desert, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palm Desert High?
The student-teacher ratio at Palm Desert High is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palm Desert High?
42.1% of students at Palm Desert High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palm Desert High?
The largest demographic group at Palm Desert High is Hispanic or Latino at 48.5% of enrollment, in Palm Desert, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palm Desert High?
Palm Desert High has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Palm Desert High rank among public schools in Palm Desert?
By Resource Investment Index, Palm Desert High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert on the city page.
Is Palm Desert High a good school?
Palm Desert High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Desert Sands Unified?
Besides Palm Desert High, Desert Sands Unified also operates La Quinta High (2,425 students), Indio High (1,962 students), and Shadow Hills High (1,650 students). See the Desert Sands 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.