Enrollment
1,766
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cedar Rapids, IA
Prairie High School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190786000388
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #5 of 5
- high schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 28.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie High School ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: College Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190786000388 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+66% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie High School
Prairie High School is a large high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 1,766 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 97% of Iowa schools and 66% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,766 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 33 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #33, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 589 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cedar Rapids's high schools, it stands alongside John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students): Prairie High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.5:1 vs 17.2:1).
College Comm School District also operates Prairie Point (868 students) and Prairie Creek (846 students) alongside Prairie 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 Prairie High School compares
Prairie High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.5:1 | ▲ 66% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.1% | ▼ 23% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,766 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,766
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 66% above state mean
Top 97% in Iowa - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$12,611
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 589 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 138 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 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
White 70.5%
African American 12.8%
Two or More 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Prairie High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for College Comm School District, which includes Prairie High School.
$12,611
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.5%
State 41.8%
Federal 7.7%
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 Prairie High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Point | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Creek | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Crest Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 868
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Cedar Rapids
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
John F Kennedy High School
Standard public school
1,648 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Thomas Jefferson High School
Standard public school
1,501 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
George Washington High School
Standard public school
1,182 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Metro High School
Alternative education program
288 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,766 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie High School's federal record.
- Compare Prairie High School against another school. Compare schools
- College Comm School 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 Prairie High School
How many students attend Prairie High School?
Prairie High School has 1,766 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie High School is 24.5:1, which is 66% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie High School?
28.1% of students at Prairie High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie High School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie High School is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie High School?
Prairie High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Prairie High School rank among high schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie High School ranks #5 of 5 high schools in Cedar Rapids, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.
Is Prairie High School a good school?
Prairie High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 College Comm School District?
Besides Prairie High School, College Comm School District also operates Prairie Point (868 students), Prairie Creek (846 students), and Prairie Hill Elementary School (466 students). See the College Comm School District 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.