Enrollment
2,297
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Aurora, CO
Smoky Hill High School
Federal NCES profile for Smoky Hill High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080291000203
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smoky Hill High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #6 of 13
- high schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 32.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Smoky Hill High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smoky Hill High School ranks #6 of 13 high schools in Aurora, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080291000203 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
118.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smoky Hill High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smoky Hill High School
Smoky Hill High School is a large high school in Aurora, Colorado, enrolling 2,297 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.3% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,297 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #7.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 21 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students) and Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students) alongside Smoky Hill High School.
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 Smoky Hill High School compares
Smoky Hill High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 17% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.3% | ▼ 16% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,297 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,297
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 83% in Colorado - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors7.8 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 212 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 21 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 34.3%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
African American 16.3%
Two or More 9.6%
Asian 5.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 34.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.2, Smoky Hill High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, which includes Smoky Hill High School.
$14,137
Per student
-13%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 43.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Smoky Hill High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Trail High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eaglecrest High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grandview High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Overland High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smoky Hill High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,852
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,851
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,684
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,228
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,297 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smoky Hill High School's federal record.
- Compare Smoky Hill High School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah'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 Smoky Hill High School
How many students attend Smoky Hill High School?
Smoky Hill High School has 2,297 students enrolled. It is a high school in Aurora, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smoky Hill High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smoky Hill High School is 19.5:1, which is 17% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smoky Hill High School?
32.3% of students at Smoky Hill High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smoky Hill High School?
The largest demographic group at Smoky Hill High School is White at 34.3% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smoky Hill High School?
Smoky Hill High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smoky Hill High School rank among high schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Smoky Hill High School ranks #6 of 13 high schools in Aurora, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Smoky Hill High School a good school?
Smoky Hill High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado. 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 Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah?
Besides Smoky Hill High School, Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students), Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students), and Eaglecrest High School (2,851 students). See the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah district page for the complete list.
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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.