Enrollment
2,290
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · National City, CA
Sweetwater High
Federal NCES profile for Sweetwater High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063864006495
👥 S:T ratio 15
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sweetwater High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #5 of 15
- public schools in National City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.2:1
- students per teacher
- 78.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sweetwater High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater High ranks #5 of 15 public schools in National City, CA.
School address
District: Sweetwater Union High · California
NCES ID 063864006495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
108.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sweetwater High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sweetwater High
Sweetwater High is a high-poverty, large high school in National City, California, enrolling 2,290 students.
At 21.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,290 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 196 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #126.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 39/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 31 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 147 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among National City's high schools, it stands alongside San Diego Workforce Innovation High (2,722 students): Sweetwater High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.2:1 vs 28.1:1).
Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students) and Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students) alongside Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater High compares
Sweetwater 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 | 21.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.3% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,290 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.2:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,290
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 45% in California - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.9%
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
$13,859
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
Counselors15.6 FTE
Per 147 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 180 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 77.0%
Asian 13.0%
White 6.6%
African American 1.5%
Two or More 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Sweetwater High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 31
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweetwater Union High, which includes Sweetwater High.
$13,859
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Sweetwater High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Otay Ranch Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olympian High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bonita Vista Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Ysidro High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sweetwater High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,440
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,289
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in National City
1 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 (~2,290 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sweetwater High's federal record.
- Compare Sweetwater High against another school. Compare schools
- Sweetwater Union High'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 Sweetwater High
How many students attend Sweetwater High?
Sweetwater High has 2,290 students enrolled. It is a high school in National City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater High?
The student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater High is 21.2:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 35% 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 Sweetwater High?
78.3% of students at Sweetwater High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sweetwater High?
The largest demographic group at Sweetwater High is Hispanic or Latino at 77.0% of enrollment, in National City, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sweetwater High?
Sweetwater High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Sweetwater High rank among public schools in National City?
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater High ranks #5 of 15 public schools in National City, 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 National City on the city page.
Is Sweetwater High a good school?
Sweetwater High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Sweetwater Union High?
Besides Sweetwater High, Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students), Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students), and Olympian High (2,289 students). See the Sweetwater Union High 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.