Enrollment
1,678
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Luis Obispo, CA
San Luis Obispo High
Federal NCES profile for San Luis Obispo High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063480005880
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Luis Obispo High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in San Luis Obispo · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 24.8%
- free-lunch eligible
San Luis Obispo High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Luis Obispo High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in San Luis Obispo, CA.
School address
District: San Luis Coastal Unified · California
NCES ID 063480005880 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Luis Obispo High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Luis Obispo High
San Luis Obispo High is a large high school in San Luis Obispo, California, enrolling 1,678 students.
At 21.5:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,678 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 341 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #295, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 420 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Luis Obispo's high schools, it stands alongside Grizzly Challenge Charter (241 students): San Luis Obispo High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.5:1 vs 18.5:1).
San Luis Coastal Unified also operates Laguna Middle (780 students) and Morro Bay High (751 students) alongside San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo High compares
San Luis Obispo 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 | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.8% | ▼ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,678 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,678
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
25.2%
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
$16,712
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 420 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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
White 56.5%
Hispanic or Latino 31.3%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 4.3%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, San Luis Obispo High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Luis Coastal Unified, which includes San Luis Obispo High.
$16,712
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.4%
State 16.0%
Federal 6.7%
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 San Luis Obispo High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Morro Bay High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| C L Smith Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Los Ranchos Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Los Osos Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Luis Obispo High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar high schools in San Luis Obispo
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 (~1,678 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Luis Obispo High's federal record.
- Compare San Luis Obispo High against another school. Compare schools
- San Luis Coastal 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 San Luis Obispo High
How many students attend San Luis Obispo High?
San Luis Obispo High has 1,678 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Luis Obispo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Luis Obispo High?
The student-teacher ratio at San Luis Obispo High is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Luis Obispo High?
24.8% of students at San Luis Obispo High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Luis Obispo High?
The largest demographic group at San Luis Obispo High is White at 56.5% of enrollment, in San Luis Obispo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Luis Obispo High?
San Luis Obispo High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 San Luis Obispo High rank among high schools in San Luis Obispo?
By Resource Investment Index, San Luis Obispo High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo on the city page.
Is San Luis Obispo High a good school?
San Luis Obispo High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Luis Coastal Unified?
Besides San Luis Obispo High, San Luis Coastal Unified also operates Laguna Middle (780 students), Morro Bay High (751 students), and C L Smith Elementary (528 students). See the San Luis Coastal 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.