Enrollment
2,259
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Palmdale, CA
Palmdale Aerospace Academy
Federal NCES profile for Palmdale Aerospace Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 060194513029Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmdale Aerospace Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.4:1
- large classes for California
- 51.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmdale Aerospace Academy has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Aerospace Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Palmdale Aerospace Academy District · California
NCES ID 060194513029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmdale Aerospace Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmdale Aerospace Academy
Palmdale Aerospace Academy is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 2,259 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,259 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 257 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #161.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 282 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Palmdale's public schools, it stands alongside Antelope Valley Learning Academy (1,059 students): Palmdale Aerospace Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.4:1 vs 28.6:1).
Palmdale Aerospace Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Palmdale Aerospace Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 2,259 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 Palmdale Aerospace Academy compares
Palmdale Aerospace 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.9% | ▼ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,259 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,259
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
43.4%
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
$14,200
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
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 282 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 86 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 83.7%
African American 6.2%
White 4.6%
Asian 3.3%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Palmdale Aerospace Academy is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palmdale Aerospace Academy District, which includes Palmdale Aerospace Academy.
$14,200
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.9%
State 83.7%
Federal 9.4%
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.
Similar other schools in Palmdale
2 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 (~2,259 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmdale Aerospace Academy's federal record.
- Compare Palmdale Aerospace Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Palmdale Aerospace 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 Palmdale Aerospace Academy
How many students attend Palmdale Aerospace Academy?
Palmdale Aerospace Academy has 2,259 students enrolled. It is a public school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Aerospace Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmdale Aerospace Academy is 25.4:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmdale Aerospace Academy?
51.9% of students at Palmdale Aerospace Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmdale Aerospace Academy?
The largest demographic group at Palmdale Aerospace Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 83.7% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmdale Aerospace Academy?
Palmdale Aerospace Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Palmdale Aerospace Academy rank among schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale Aerospace Academy ranks #2 of 3 schools in Palmdale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Palmdale Aerospace Academy a good school?
Palmdale Aerospace Academy earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Palmdale Aerospace Academy District?
None; Palmdale Aerospace Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Palmdale Aerospace 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.