Enrollment
421
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sterling, CO
Sterling High School
Federal NCES profile for Sterling High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080669001155
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 36.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling High School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Sterling, CO.
School address
District: School District No. Re-1 Valley · Colorado
NCES ID 080669001155 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.5%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling High School
Sterling High School is a mid-sized high school in Sterling, Colorado, enrolling 421 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.5% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the Colorado median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 347 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 50/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
The surrounding School District No. Re-1 Valley spends $11,139 per pupil, 32% below the Colorado average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
School District No. Re-1 Valley also operates Sterling Middle School (397 students) and Ayres Elementary School (385 students) alongside Sterling 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 Sterling High School compares
Sterling 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.5% | ▼ 5% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 61% in Colorado - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,139
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 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
White 64.1%
Hispanic or Latino 30.4%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 1.4%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Sterling High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School District No. Re-1 Valley, which includes Sterling High School.
$11,139
Per student
-32%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.0%
State 48.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Sterling High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ayres Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Campbell Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Caliche Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hagen Early Education Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 139
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 117
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling High School's federal record.
- Compare Sterling High School against another school. Compare schools
- School District No. Re-1 Valley'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 Sterling High School
How many students attend Sterling High School?
Sterling High School has 421 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sterling, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling High School is 16.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sterling High School?
36.5% of students at Sterling High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling High School?
The largest demographic group at Sterling High School is White at 64.1% of enrollment, in Sterling, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling High School?
Sterling High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sterling High School rank among public schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling High School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Sterling, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Sterling High School a good school?
Sterling High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. 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 School District No. Re-1 Valley?
Besides Sterling High School, School District No. Re-1 Valley also operates Sterling Middle School (397 students), Ayres Elementary School (385 students), and Campbell Elementary School (347 students). See the School District No. Re-1 Valley 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.