Enrollment
1,431
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tempe, AZ
Tempe High School
Federal NCES profile for Tempe High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 040834000795
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tempe High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona.
- #6 of 10
- high schools in Tempe · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 43.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Tempe High School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tempe High School ranks #6 of 10 high schools in Tempe, AZ.
School address
District: Tempe Union High School District (4287) · Arizona
NCES ID 040834000795 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tempe High School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tempe High School
Tempe High School is a large high school in Tempe, Arizona, enrolling 1,431 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,431 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 77 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 48/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Tempe Union High School District (4287) spends $9,314 per pupil, 29% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tempe's high schools, it stands alongside Ombudsman - Charter Northeast (93 students): Tempe High School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Tempe Union High School District (4287) also operates Desert Vista High School (2,761 students) and Corona Del Sol High School (2,600 students) alongside Tempe 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 Tempe High School compares
Tempe High School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.1:1 | ▲ 6% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.9% | ▼ 9% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,431 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,431
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 64% in Arizona - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.1%
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
$9,314
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 358 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 139 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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 70.7%
African American 11.7%
White 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
Two or More 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.7%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.7, Tempe High School is about as mixed as the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tempe Union High School District (4287), which includes Tempe High School.
$9,314
Per student
-29%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.9%
State 21.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Tempe High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Vista High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Corona Del Sol High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcclintock High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Pointe High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marcos De Niza High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tempe High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,761
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,600
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,781
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,570
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,408
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Tempe
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 Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,431 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tempe High School's federal record.
- Compare Tempe High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tempe Union High School District (4287)'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 Tempe High School
How many students attend Tempe High School?
Tempe High School has 1,431 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tempe, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tempe High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tempe High School is 18.1:1, which is 6% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tempe High School?
43.9% of students at Tempe High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tempe High School?
The largest demographic group at Tempe High School is Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment, in Tempe, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tempe High School?
Tempe High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tempe High School rank among high schools in Tempe?
By Resource Investment Index, Tempe High School ranks #6 of 10 high schools in Tempe, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Tempe on the city page.
Is Tempe High School a good school?
Tempe High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arizona. 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 Tempe Union High School District (4287)?
Besides Tempe High School, Tempe Union High School District (4287) also operates Desert Vista High School (2,761 students), Corona Del Sol High School (2,600 students), and Mcclintock High School (1,781 students). See the Tempe Union High School District (4287) 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.