Enrollment
1,557
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Mateo, CA
San Mateo High
Federal NCES profile for San Mateo 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 063498005926
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Mateo High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in San Mateo · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.5:1
- small classes for California
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
San Mateo High has class sizes smaller than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Mateo High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in San Mateo, CA.
School address
District: San Mateo Union High · California
NCES ID 063498005926 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Mateo High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Mateo High
San Mateo High is a large high school in San Mateo, California, enrolling 1,557 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,557 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #252.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and Asian (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding San Mateo Union High spends $22,262 per pupil, 35% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Mateo's high schools, it stands alongside Aragon High (1,658 students): San Mateo High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.5:1 vs 22.1:1).
San Mateo Union High also operates Aragon High (1,658 students) and Hillsdale High (1,585 students) alongside San Mateo 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 Mateo High compares
San Mateo 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 | 18.5:1 | ▼ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.2% | ▼ 53% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,557 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,557
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 24% in California - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.9%
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
$22,262
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 47.6%
Asian 26.1%
White 15.9%
Two or More 7.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.9%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, San Mateo High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Mateo Union High, which includes San Mateo High.
$22,262
Per student
+35%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 85.1%
State 11.5%
Federal 3.4%
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 Mateo High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aragon High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillsdale High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burlingame High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mills High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capuchino High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Mateo High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,658
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,583
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in San Mateo
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 (~1,557 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Mateo High's federal record.
- Compare San Mateo High against another school. Compare schools
- San Mateo 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 San Mateo High
How many students attend San Mateo High?
San Mateo High has 1,557 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Mateo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Mateo High?
The student-teacher ratio at San Mateo High is 18.5:1, which is 14% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 18% 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 San Mateo High?
26.2% of students at San Mateo High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Mateo High?
The largest demographic group at San Mateo High is Hispanic or Latino at 47.6% of enrollment, in San Mateo, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Mateo High?
San Mateo 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 San Mateo High rank among high schools in San Mateo?
By Resource Investment Index, San Mateo High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in San Mateo, 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 Mateo on the city page.
Is San Mateo High a good school?
San Mateo High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of California schools. 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 San Mateo Union High?
Besides San Mateo High, San Mateo Union High also operates Aragon High (1,658 students), Hillsdale High (1,585 students), and Burlingame High (1,583 students). See the San Mateo 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.