Enrollment
1,239
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South San Francisco, CA
South San Francisco High
Federal NCES profile for South San Francisco High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063753006352
👥 S:T ratio 25
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South San Francisco High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in South San Francisco · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.8:1
- small classes for California
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
South San Francisco High has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South San Francisco High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in South San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: South San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063753006352 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South San Francisco High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at South San Francisco High
South San Francisco High is a large high school in South San Francisco, California, enrolling 1,239 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,239 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 577 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and Asian (26%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among South San Francisco's high schools, it stands alongside El Camino High (1,053 students): South San Francisco High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.8:1 vs 17:1).
South San Francisco Unified also operates El Camino High (1,053 students) and Alta Loma Middle (652 students) alongside South San Francisco 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 San Francisco High compares
South San Francisco 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 | 18.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▼ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,239 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,239
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 26% in California - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.0%
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
$17,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 62.7%
Asian 25.8%
White 4.8%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, South San Francisco High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South San Francisco Unified, which includes South San Francisco High.
$17,183
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 16.7%
Federal 7.3%
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 San Francisco High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alta Loma Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buri Buri Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Heights Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monte Verde Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South San Francisco High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in South San Francisco
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 (~1,239 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South San Francisco High's federal record.
- Compare South San Francisco High against another school. Compare schools
- South San Francisco 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 San Francisco High
How many students attend South San Francisco High?
South San Francisco High has 1,239 students enrolled. It is a high school in South San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South San Francisco High?
The student-teacher ratio at South San Francisco High is 18.8:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 20% 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 South San Francisco High?
38.9% of students at South San Francisco High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South San Francisco High?
The largest demographic group at South San Francisco High is Hispanic or Latino at 62.7% of enrollment, in South San Francisco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South San Francisco High?
South San Francisco High has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 South San Francisco High rank among high schools in South San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, South San Francisco High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco on the city page.
Is South San Francisco High a good school?
South San Francisco High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of 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 San Francisco Unified?
Besides South San Francisco High, South San Francisco Unified also operates El Camino High (1,053 students), Alta Loma Middle (652 students), and Buri Buri Elementary (584 students). See the South San Francisco 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.