Enrollment
1,875
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Arvada, CO
Ralston Valley Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Ralston Valley Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080480001797
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralston Valley Senior High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Arvada · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 8.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralston Valley Senior High School has class sizes larger than 91% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralston Valley Senior High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Arvada, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480001797 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.8%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralston Valley Senior High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralston Valley Senior High School
Ralston Valley Senior High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Arvada, Colorado, enrolling 1,875 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.6:1 is larger than about 91% of Colorado schools and 30% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.8% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Colorado average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,875 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 49 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #31.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 375 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Chatfield High School (1,808 students) alongside Ralston Valley Senior 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 Ralston Valley Senior High School compares
Ralston Valley Senior High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.8% | ▼ 77% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,875 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,875
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
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
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 91% in Colorado - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$13,124
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 375 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 81.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.5%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 81.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.0, Ralston Valley Senior High School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Ralston Valley Senior High School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Ralston Valley Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Golden High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralston Valley Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,875 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralston Valley Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Ralston Valley Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-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 Ralston Valley Senior High School
How many students attend Ralston Valley Senior High School?
Ralston Valley Senior High School has 1,875 students enrolled. It is a high school in Arvada, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralston Valley Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralston Valley Senior High School is 21.6:1, which is 30% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralston Valley Senior High School?
8.8% of students at Ralston Valley Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralston Valley Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Ralston Valley Senior High School is White at 81.5% of enrollment, in Arvada, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralston Valley Senior High School?
Ralston Valley Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Ralston Valley Senior High School rank among high schools in Arvada?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralston Valley Senior High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Arvada, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Arvada on the city page.
Is Ralston Valley Senior High School a good school?
Ralston Valley Senior High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Ralston Valley Senior High School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Chatfield High School (1,808 students), and Lakewood High School (1,735 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-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.