Enrollment
854
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Seattle, WA
Rainier Beach High School
Federal NCES profile for Rainier Beach High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 530771001236
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rainier Beach High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Washington schools.
- #6 of 14
- high schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Washington
- 70.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Rainier Beach High School has class sizes larger than 72% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rainier Beach High School ranks #6 of 14 high schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771001236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.3%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rainier Beach High School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rainier Beach High School
Rainier Beach High School is a higher-need, large high school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 854 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 70.3% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the Washington average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Washington, bigger than 91% of state schools at 854 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by African American (41%) and Asian (23%) (diversity index 73/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Seattle's high schools, it stands alongside Lincoln High School (1,770 students): Rainier Beach High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19:1 vs 24.6:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Rainier Beach 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 Rainier Beach High School compares
Rainier Beach High School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.3% | ▲ 56% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 854 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
854
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the Washington average of 45.0%
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
19:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 72% in Washington - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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
African American 41.3%
Asian 23.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Two or More 8.2%
White 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 41.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.8, Rainier Beach High School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Rainier Beach High School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Rainier Beach High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rainier Beach High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Seattle
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
1,770 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Evergreen High School
Standard public school
1,080 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Summit Public School: Sierra
Standard public school
214 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
New Start
Alternative education program
142 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Interagency Open Doors
Alternative education program
132 students
Puget Sound Skills Center
Vocational / career-technical school
3 students
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~854 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rainier Beach High School's federal record.
- Compare Rainier Beach High School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Rainier Beach High School
How many students attend Rainier Beach High School?
Rainier Beach High School has 854 students enrolled. It is a high school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rainier Beach High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rainier Beach High School is 19:1, which is 8% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rainier Beach High School?
70.3% of students at Rainier Beach High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rainier Beach High School?
The largest demographic group at Rainier Beach High School is African American at 41.3% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rainier Beach High School?
Rainier Beach High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rainier Beach High School rank among high schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Rainier Beach High School ranks #6 of 14 high schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Rainier Beach High School a good school?
Rainier Beach High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Washington 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Rainier Beach High School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.