Enrollment
1,439
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Thornton, CO
Thornton High School
Federal NCES profile for Thornton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080690001192
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Colorado schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Colorado.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in Thornton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton High School has class sizes larger than 82% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton High School ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Thornton, CO.
School address
District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Colorado
NCES ID 080690001192 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton High School
Thornton High School is a higher-need, large high school in Thornton, Colorado, enrolling 1,439 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,439 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 27 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #12.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students) and Horizon High School (1,966 students) alongside Thornton 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 Thornton High School compares
Thornton 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 17% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▲ 51% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,439 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,439
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 82% in Colorado - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
66.9%
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
$13,222
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
44
in-school suspensions + 170 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 71.5%
White 15.2%
Asian 9.7%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.6, Thornton High School is about as mixed as the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, which includes Thornton High School.
$13,222
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.8%
Federal 9.8%
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 Thornton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northglenn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain Range High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stargate Charter School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,052
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,788
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,572
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~1,439 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton High School's federal record.
- Compare Thornton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools'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 Thornton High School
How many students attend Thornton High School?
Thornton High School has 1,439 students enrolled. It is a high school in Thornton, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton High School is 19.4:1, which is 17% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thornton High School?
58.3% of students at Thornton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton High School?
The largest demographic group at Thornton High School is Hispanic or Latino at 71.5% of enrollment, in Thornton, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton High School?
Thornton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Thornton High School rank among high schools in Thornton?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton High School ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Thornton, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Thornton on the city page.
Is Thornton High School a good school?
Thornton High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Adams 12 Five Star Schools?
Besides Thornton High School, Adams 12 Five Star Schools also operates Legacy High School (2,052 students), Horizon High School (1,966 students), and Northglenn High School (1,844 students). See the Adams 12 Five Star Schools 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.