Enrollment
2,208
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Palmdale, CA
Palmdale High
Federal NCES profile for Palmdale High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060282000205
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmdale High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Palmdale · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21:1
- students per teacher
- 69.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmdale High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Palmdale, CA.
School address
District: Antelope Valley Union High · California
NCES ID 060282000205 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
105.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmdale High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmdale High
Palmdale High is a higher-need, large high school in Palmdale, California, enrolling 2,208 students.
At 21:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 69.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,208 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #138.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Palmdale's high schools, it stands alongside Highland High (2,706 students): Palmdale High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21:1 vs 24.8:1).
Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students) and Highland High (2,706 students) alongside Palmdale 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 Palmdale High compares
Palmdale 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 | 21:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.1% | ▲ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,208 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,208
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 43% in California - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$15,679
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 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 260 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 80.0%
African American 14.4%
White 2.9%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.8, Palmdale High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Antelope Valley Union High, which includes Palmdale High.
$15,679
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.3%
State 64.5%
Federal 15.3%
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 Palmdale High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz Hill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmdale High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,175
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,706
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 2,688
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,631
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,349
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Palmdale
3 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 (~2,208 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmdale High's federal record.
- Compare Palmdale High against another school. Compare schools
- Antelope Valley Union High'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 High
How many students attend Palmdale High?
Palmdale High has 2,208 students enrolled. It is a high school in Palmdale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmdale High?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmdale High is 21:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Palmdale High?
69.1% of students at Palmdale High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmdale High?
The largest demographic group at Palmdale High is Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment, in Palmdale, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmdale High?
Palmdale High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palmdale High rank among high schools in Palmdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmdale High ranks #2 of 4 high 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 high schools in Palmdale on the city page.
Is Palmdale High a good school?
Palmdale High earns 46/100 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 Antelope Valley Union High?
Besides Palmdale High, Antelope Valley Union High also operates Quartz Hill High (3,175 students), Highland High (2,706 students), and Lancaster High (2,688 students). See the Antelope Valley Union High 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.