Enrollment
1,536
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Pasadena, CA
South Pasadena Senior High
Federal NCES profile for South Pasadena Senior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063750006338
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Pasadena Senior High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in South Pasadena · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
South Pasadena Senior High has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Pasadena Senior High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in South Pasadena, CA.
School address
District: South Pasadena Unified · California
NCES ID 063750006338 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Pasadena Senior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Pasadena Senior High
South Pasadena Senior High is a lower-poverty, large high school in South Pasadena, California, enrolling 1,536 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.2% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,536 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 292 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #115.
Its student body is led by Asian (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 307 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students) and Marengo Elementary (783 students) alongside South Pasadena Senior 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 South Pasadena Senior High compares
South Pasadena Senior 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 | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 73% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,536 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,536
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% 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
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,435
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 307 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
Asian 34.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.6%
White 24.4%
Two or More 15.8%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 34.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.9, South Pasadena Senior 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 South Pasadena Unified, which includes South Pasadena Senior High.
$13,435
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 51.3%
Federal 7.8%
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 South Pasadena Senior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Marengo Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arroyo Vista Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monterey Hills Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Pasadena Senior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,096
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~1,536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Pasadena Senior High's federal record.
- Compare South Pasadena Senior High against another school. Compare schools
- South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena Senior High
How many students attend South Pasadena Senior High?
South Pasadena Senior High has 1,536 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Pasadena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Pasadena Senior High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Pasadena Senior High is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Pasadena Senior High?
15.2% of students at South Pasadena Senior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Pasadena Senior High?
The largest demographic group at South Pasadena Senior High is Asian at 34.0% of enrollment, in South Pasadena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Pasadena Senior High?
South Pasadena Senior High has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 South Pasadena Senior High rank among public schools in South Pasadena?
By Resource Investment Index, South Pasadena Senior High ranks #4 of 5 public schools in South Pasadena, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Pasadena on the city page.
Is South Pasadena Senior High a good school?
South Pasadena Senior High earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 South Pasadena Unified?
Besides South Pasadena Senior High, South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Middle (1,096 students), Marengo Elementary (783 students), and Arroyo Vista Elementary (667 students). See the South Pasadena 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.