Enrollment
1,394
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Highlands Ranch, CO
Stem School Highlands Ranch
Federal NCES profile for Stem School Highlands Ranch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 080345006493Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stem School Highlands Ranch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #6 of 18
- schools in Highlands Ranch · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 3.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Stem School Highlands Ranch has class sizes larger than 78% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stem School Highlands Ranch ranks #6 of 18 schools in Highlands Ranch, CO.
School address
District: Douglas County School District No. Re 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080345006493 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
3.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stem School Highlands Ranch compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stem School Highlands Ranch
Stem School Highlands Ranch is a lower-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, enrolling 1,394 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 3.6% free-meal eligibility runs 91% below the Colorado average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,394 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 65 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Asian (26%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Douglas County School District No. Re 1 spends $11,848 per pupil, 27% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students) and Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students) alongside Stem School Highlands Ranch.
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 Stem School Highlands Ranch compares
Stem School Highlands Ranch on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 3.6% | ▼ 91% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,394 | top 4% | - | - |
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.
1,394
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
3.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 78% in Colorado - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,848
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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
White 50.7%
Asian 26.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 7.7%
African American 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 50.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Stem School Highlands Ranch is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas County School District No. Re 1, which includes Stem School Highlands Ranch.
$11,848
Per student
-27%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 6.4%
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 Stem School Highlands Ranch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rock Canyon High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Legend High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Vista High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chaparral High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stem School Highlands Ranch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,803
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,325
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,206
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other 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 (~1,394 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stem School Highlands Ranch's federal record.
- Compare Stem School Highlands Ranch against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas County School District No. Re 1'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 Stem School Highlands Ranch
How many students attend Stem School Highlands Ranch?
Stem School Highlands Ranch has 1,394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Highlands Ranch, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stem School Highlands Ranch?
The student-teacher ratio at Stem School Highlands Ranch is 18.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stem School Highlands Ranch?
3.6% of students at Stem School Highlands Ranch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stem School Highlands Ranch?
The largest demographic group at Stem School Highlands Ranch is White at 50.7% of enrollment, in Highlands Ranch, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stem School Highlands Ranch?
Stem School Highlands Ranch has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Stem School Highlands Ranch rank among schools in Highlands Ranch?
By Resource Investment Index, Stem School Highlands Ranch ranks #6 of 18 schools in Highlands Ranch, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Highlands Ranch on the city page.
Is Stem School Highlands Ranch a good school?
Stem School Highlands Ranch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Douglas County School District No. Re 1?
Besides Stem School Highlands Ranch, Douglas County School District No. Re 1 also operates American Academy (2,803 students), Rock Canyon High School (2,325 students), and Legend High School (2,206 students). See the Douglas County School District No. Re 1 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.