Enrollment
2,693
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Irvine, CA
Portola High
Federal NCES profile for Portola High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 068450013995
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portola High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #8 of 8
- high schools in Irvine · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 32.4:1
- large classes for California
- 15.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Portola High has class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portola High ranks #8 of 8 high schools in Irvine, CA.
School address
District: Irvine Unified · California
NCES ID 068450013995 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
83.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portola High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portola High
Portola High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Irvine, California, enrolling 2,693 students.
Class loads run heavy: 32.4:1 is larger than about 97% of California schools and 51% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.4% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,693 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 163 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #123, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (62%) and White (18%) (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Irvine Unified spends $13,289 per pupil, 20% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Irvine's high schools, it stands alongside Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students): Portola High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (32.4:1 vs 26.4:1).
Irvine Unified also operates University High (2,307 students) and Northwood High (2,244 students) alongside Portola 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 Portola High compares
Portola 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 | 32.4:1 | ▲ 51% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.4% | ▼ 72% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,693 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
32.4:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,693
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
32.4:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 97% in California - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,289
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
Counselors5.6 FTE
Per 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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
Asian 62.2%
White 18.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 7.6%
African American 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 62.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Portola High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Irvine Unified, which includes Portola High.
$13,289
Per student
-20%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 31.0%
Federal 6.6%
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 Portola High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| University High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northwood High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodbridge High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irvine High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sierra Vista Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portola High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,244
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,232
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,964
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 31.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Irvine
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Arnold O. Beckman High
Standard public school
2,776 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
University High
Standard public school
2,307 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Northwood High
Standard public school
2,244 students 27.7:1 students per teacher
Woodbridge High
Standard public school
2,232 students 24:1 students per teacher
Irvine High
Standard public school
1,964 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Irvine Adult Transition Programs
Special-education school
117 students 14.6:1 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 (~2,693 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~32.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portola High's federal record.
- Compare Portola High against another school. Compare schools
- Irvine 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 Portola High
How many students attend Portola High?
Portola High has 2,693 students enrolled. It is a high school in Irvine, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portola High?
The student-teacher ratio at Portola High is 32.4:1, which is 51% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 106% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Portola High?
15.4% of students at Portola High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portola High?
The largest demographic group at Portola High is Asian at 62.2% of enrollment, in Irvine, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portola High?
Portola High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Portola High rank among high schools in Irvine?
By Resource Investment Index, Portola High ranks #8 of 8 high schools in Irvine, 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 Irvine on the city page.
Is Portola High a good school?
Portola High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Irvine Unified?
Besides Portola High, Irvine Unified also operates University High (2,307 students), Northwood High (2,244 students), and Woodbridge High (2,232 students). See the Irvine 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.