Enrollment
2,484
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Riverside, CA
Polytechnic High
Federal NCES profile for Polytechnic High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063315005156
👥 S:T ratio 4
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polytechnic High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #8 of 14
- high schools in Riverside · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 53.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Polytechnic High has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polytechnic High ranks #8 of 14 high schools in Riverside, CA.
School address
District: Riverside Unified · California
NCES ID 063315005156 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
103.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polytechnic High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polytechnic High
Polytechnic High is a higher-need, large high school in Riverside, California, enrolling 2,484 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 53.4% 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 99% of state schools at 2,484 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 251 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and White (22%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Riverside's high schools, it stands alongside Martin Luther King Jr. High (2,699 students): Polytechnic High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.1:1 vs 23.7:1).
Riverside Unified also operates Martin Luther King Jr. High (2,699 students) and Ramona High (2,142 students) alongside Polytechnic 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 Polytechnic High compares
Polytechnic 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 | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▼ 4% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,484 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,484
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.0%
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
$14,545
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 108 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 67.4%
White 22.1%
African American 5.1%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Polytechnic High is more 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 Riverside Unified, which includes Polytechnic High.
$14,545
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 64.5%
Federal 11.4%
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.
How Polytechnic High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ramona High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W. North High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Arlington High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mark Twain Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polytechnic High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,699
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,142
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,920
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Riverside
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Martin Luther King Jr. High
Standard public school
2,699 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Ramona High
Standard public school
2,142 students 23:1 students per teacher
John W. North High
Standard public school
2,011 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Arlington High
Standard public school
1,920 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Norte Vista High
Standard public school
1,804 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest High
Standard public school
1,780 students 22.5:1 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 (~2,484 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polytechnic High's federal record.
- Compare Polytechnic High against another school. Compare schools
- Riverside 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 Polytechnic High
How many students attend Polytechnic High?
Polytechnic High has 2,484 students enrolled. It is a high school in Riverside, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polytechnic High?
The student-teacher ratio at Polytechnic High is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Polytechnic High?
53.4% of students at Polytechnic High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polytechnic High?
The largest demographic group at Polytechnic High is Hispanic or Latino at 67.4% of enrollment, in Riverside, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polytechnic High?
Polytechnic High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Polytechnic High rank among high schools in Riverside?
By Resource Investment Index, Polytechnic High ranks #8 of 14 high schools in Riverside, 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 Riverside on the city page.
Is Polytechnic High a good school?
Polytechnic High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Riverside Unified?
Besides Polytechnic High, Riverside Unified also operates Martin Luther King Jr. High (2,699 students), Ramona High (2,142 students), and John W. North High (2,011 students). See the Riverside 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.