Enrollment
1,451
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Santa Ana, CA
Saddleback High
Federal NCES profile for Saddleback High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063531006004
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Saddleback High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 8
- schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 67.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Saddleback High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Saddleback High ranks #4 of 8 schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Santa Ana Unified · California
NCES ID 063531006004 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Saddleback High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Saddleback High
Saddleback High is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 1,451 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,451 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 426 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Santa Ana's public schools, it stands alongside Ocsa (2,346 students): Saddleback High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 17.8:1).
Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students) and Segerstrom High (2,376 students) alongside Saddleback 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 Saddleback High compares
Saddleback 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.5% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,451 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,451
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.7%
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
$18,933
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 95.9%
Asian 2.2%
White 0.8%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.0, Saddleback High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Ana Unified, which includes Saddleback High.
$18,933
Per student
+15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 54.7%
Federal 19.3%
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 Saddleback High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Segerstrom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hector G. Godinez | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Century High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Saddleback High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,908
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,519
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Ocsa
Standard public school
2,346 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Samueli Academy
Standard public school
842 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana
Standard public school
524 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Citrus Springs Charter
Standard public school
477 students 29.8:1 students per teacher
Vista Heritage Global Academy
Standard public school
369 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Advanced Learning Academy
Standard public school
363 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~1,451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Saddleback High's federal record.
- Compare Saddleback High against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Ana 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 Saddleback High
How many students attend Saddleback High?
Saddleback High has 1,451 students enrolled. It is a public school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Saddleback High?
The student-teacher ratio at Saddleback High is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Saddleback High?
67.5% of students at Saddleback High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Saddleback High?
The largest demographic group at Saddleback High is Hispanic or Latino at 95.9% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Saddleback High?
Saddleback High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Saddleback High rank among schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Saddleback High ranks #4 of 8 schools in Santa Ana, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Saddleback High a good school?
Saddleback High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 Santa Ana Unified?
Besides Saddleback High, Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students), Segerstrom High (2,376 students), and Valley High (1,908 students). See the Santa Ana 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.