Enrollment
1,289
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carlsbad, CA
Sage Creek High
Federal NCES profile for Sage Creek High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060750013058
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sage Creek High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 18.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sage Creek High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sage Creek High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Carlsbad, CA.
School address
District: Carlsbad Unified · California
NCES ID 060750013058 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sage Creek High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sage Creek High
Sage Creek High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Carlsbad, California, enrolling 1,289 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.9% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,289 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 455 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #231.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Carlsbad's high schools, it stands alongside Carlsbad High (2,336 students): Sage Creek High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.6:1 vs 24.1:1).
Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students) and Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students) alongside Sage Creek 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 Sage Creek High compares
Sage Creek 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.9% | ▼ 66% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,289 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,289
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.6%
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
$13,634
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 48.4%
Hispanic or Latino 25.7%
Asian 13.5%
Two or More 11.1%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Sage Creek High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Unified, which includes Sage Creek High.
$13,634
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.1%
State 14.0%
Federal 5.8%
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 Sage Creek High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aviara Oaks Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hope Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calavera Hills Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sage Creek High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,336
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Carlsbad
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,289 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sage Creek High's federal record.
- Compare Sage Creek High against another school. Compare schools
- Carlsbad 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 Sage Creek High
How many students attend Sage Creek High?
Sage Creek High has 1,289 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carlsbad, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sage Creek High?
The student-teacher ratio at Sage Creek High is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sage Creek High?
18.9% of students at Sage Creek High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sage Creek High?
The largest demographic group at Sage Creek High is White at 48.4% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sage Creek High?
Sage Creek High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Sage Creek High rank among high schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, Sage Creek High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Carlsbad, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Carlsbad on the city page.
Is Sage Creek High a good school?
Sage Creek High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 Carlsbad Unified?
Besides Sage Creek High, Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students), Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students), and Valley Middle (807 students). See the Carlsbad 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.