Enrollment
1,106
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aurora, CO
Thunder Ridge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Thunder Ridge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080291000034
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thunder Ridge Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools.
- #10 of 16
- middle schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 20.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Thunder Ridge Middle School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Ridge Middle School ranks #10 of 16 middle schools in Aurora, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080291000034 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thunder Ridge Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thunder Ridge Middle School
Thunder Ridge Middle School is a large middle school in Aurora, Colorado, enrolling 1,106 students.
At 16.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,106 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 136 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students) and Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students) alongside Thunder Ridge Middle 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 Thunder Ridge Middle School compares
Thunder Ridge Middle 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.7% | ▼ 46% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,106 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,106
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in Colorado - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$14,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 101 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
White 48.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
Two or More 10.2%
African American 9.9%
Asian 6.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 48.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Thunder Ridge Middle School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah, which includes Thunder Ridge Middle School.
$14,137
Per student
-13%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 43.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Thunder Ridge Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Trail High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eaglecrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grandview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smoky Hill High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thunder Ridge Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,852
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,089
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,851
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,684
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,297
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,106 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thunder Ridge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Thunder Ridge Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah'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 Thunder Ridge Middle School
How many students attend Thunder Ridge Middle School?
Thunder Ridge Middle School has 1,106 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aurora, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunder Ridge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thunder Ridge Middle School is 16.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 4% 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 Thunder Ridge Middle School?
20.7% of students at Thunder Ridge Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thunder Ridge Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Thunder Ridge Middle School is White at 48.1% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thunder Ridge Middle School?
Thunder Ridge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thunder Ridge Middle School rank among middle schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Ridge Middle School ranks #10 of 16 middle schools in Aurora, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Thunder Ridge Middle School a good school?
Thunder Ridge Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Colorado schools. 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 Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah?
Besides Thunder Ridge Middle School, Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah also operates Cherry Creek High School (3,852 students), Cherokee Trail High School (3,089 students), and Eaglecrest High School (2,851 students). See the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 in the County of Arapah 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.