Enrollment
1,705
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chula Vista, CA
Rancho Del Rey Middle
Federal NCES profile for Rancho Del Rey Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063864007348
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho Del Rey Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 7
- middle schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 28:1
- large classes for California
- 22.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho Del Rey Middle has class sizes larger than 93% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Del Rey Middle ranks #3 of 7 middle schools in Chula Vista, CA.
School address
District: Sweetwater Union High · California
NCES ID 063864007348 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rancho Del Rey Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rancho Del Rey Middle
Rancho Del Rey Middle is a large middle school in Chula Vista, California, enrolling 1,705 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28:1 is larger than about 93% of California schools and 30% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.4% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,705 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 316 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #141.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and Asian (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 194 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Chula Vista's middle schools, it stands alongside Eastlake Middle (1,613 students): Rancho Del Rey Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (28:1 vs 28.3:1).
Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students) and Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students) alongside Rancho Del Rey Middle.
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 Rancho Del Rey Middle compares
Rancho Del Rey Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28:1 | ▲ 30% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.4% | ▼ 60% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,705 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,705
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
28:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 93% in California - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$13,859
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
Counselors8.8 FTE
Per 194 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
Hispanic or Latino 49.4%
Asian 26.8%
White 8.2%
Two or More 7.4%
African American 7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Rancho Del Rey Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweetwater Union High, which includes Rancho Del Rey Middle.
$13,859
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Rancho Del Rey Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Otay Ranch Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sweetwater High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Olympian High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bonita Vista Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rancho Del Rey Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,440
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,289
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Chula Vista
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Eastlake Middle
Standard public school
1,613 students 28.3:1 students per teacher
Bonita Vista Middle
Standard public school
972 students 29.5:1 students per teacher
Hilltop Middle
Standard public school
866 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Castle Park Middle
Standard public school
703 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Chula Vista Middle
Standard public school
678 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
High Tech Middle Chula Vista
Standard public school
335 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,705 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho Del Rey Middle's federal record.
- Compare Rancho Del Rey Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sweetwater Union High'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 Rancho Del Rey Middle
How many students attend Rancho Del Rey Middle?
Rancho Del Rey Middle has 1,705 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Del Rey Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Del Rey Middle is 28:1, which is 30% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rancho Del Rey Middle?
22.4% of students at Rancho Del Rey Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rancho Del Rey Middle?
The largest demographic group at Rancho Del Rey Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 49.4% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho Del Rey Middle?
Rancho Del Rey Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rancho Del Rey Middle rank among middle schools in Chula Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Del Rey Middle ranks #3 of 7 middle schools in Chula Vista, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Chula Vista on the city page.
Is Rancho Del Rey Middle a good school?
Rancho Del Rey Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Sweetwater Union High?
Besides Rancho Del Rey Middle, Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students), Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students), and Sweetwater High (2,290 students). See the Sweetwater Union High 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.