Enrollment
1,250
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Novato, CA
San Marin High
Federal NCES profile for San Marin High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 062772004196
👥 S:T ratio 6
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Marin High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Novato · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 19.8%
- free-lunch eligible
San Marin High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Marin High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Novato, CA.
School address
District: Novato Unified · California
NCES ID 062772004196 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Marin High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Marin High
San Marin High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Novato, California, enrolling 1,250 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.8% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,250 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 496 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #53, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Novato's high schools, it stands alongside Novato High (1,287 students): San Marin High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.6:1 vs 20.8:1).
Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students) and Sinaloa Middle (693 students) alongside San Marin 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 Marin High compares
San Marin 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.8% | ▼ 64% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,250 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,250
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,065
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 49.2%
Hispanic or Latino 32.0%
Two or More 8.7%
Asian 8.3%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, San Marin High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Novato Unified, which includes San Marin High.
$14,065
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 43.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 San Marin High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sinaloa Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Jose Intermediate | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Meadow Park | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pleasant Valley Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Marin High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Novato
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 (~1,250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Marin High's federal record.
- Compare San Marin High against another school. Compare schools
- Novato 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 Marin High
How many students attend San Marin High?
San Marin High has 1,250 students enrolled. It is a high school in Novato, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Marin High?
The student-teacher ratio at San Marin High is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Marin High?
19.8% of students at San Marin High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Marin High?
The largest demographic group at San Marin High is White at 49.2% of enrollment, in Novato, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Marin High?
San Marin High has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Marin High rank among high schools in Novato?
By Resource Investment Index, San Marin High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Novato, 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 Novato on the city page.
Is San Marin High a good school?
San Marin High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Novato Unified?
Besides San Marin High, Novato Unified also operates Novato High (1,287 students), Sinaloa Middle (693 students), and San Jose Intermediate (559 students). See the Novato 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.