Enrollment
119
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Nogales, AZ
Pierson High School
Federal NCES profile for Pierson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040553001552
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pierson High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Nogales · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Arizona
- 83.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Pierson High School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pierson High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Nogales, AZ.
School address
District: Nogales Unified District (4457) · Arizona
NCES ID 040553001552 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.8%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
+73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pierson High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pierson High School
Pierson High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Nogales, Arizona, enrolling 119 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.8% of students qualify for free meals, 73% above the Arizona average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 119 puts it in the smaller third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 44 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 119 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Nogales Unified District (4457) spends $9,608 per pupil, 27% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students) and Desert Shadows Middle School (784 students) alongside Pierson High School.
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 Pierson High School compares
Pierson High School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.8% | ▲ 73% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 119 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
119
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% above the Arizona average of 48.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 22% in Arizona - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$9,608
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 119 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 100.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Pierson High School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nogales Unified District (4457), which includes Pierson High School.
$9,608
Per student
-27%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.7%
State 56.8%
Federal 27.5%
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 Pierson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogales High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Desert Shadows Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wade Carpenter Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pierson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~119 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pierson High School's federal record.
- Compare Pierson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Nogales Unified District (4457)'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 Pierson High School
How many students attend Pierson High School?
Pierson High School has 119 students enrolled. It is a high school in Nogales, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pierson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pierson High School is 13.2:1, which is 22% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 16% lower 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 Pierson High School?
83.8% of students at Pierson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pierson High School?
The largest demographic group at Pierson High School is Hispanic or Latino at 100.0% of enrollment, in Nogales, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pierson High School?
Pierson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pierson High School rank among public schools in Nogales?
By Resource Investment Index, Pierson High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Nogales, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Nogales on the city page.
Is Pierson High School a good school?
Pierson High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Arizona schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arizona schools. 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 Nogales Unified District (4457)?
Besides Pierson High School, Nogales Unified District (4457) also operates Nogales High School (1,774 students), Desert Shadows Middle School (784 students), and Wade Carpenter Middle School (547 students). See the Nogales Unified District (4457) 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.