Enrollment
1,578
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Topeka, KS
Topeka High
Federal NCES profile for Topeka High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201226001477
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Topeka High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in Topeka · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 63.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Topeka High has class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Topeka High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Topeka, KS.
School address
District: Topeka Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 201226001477 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Topeka High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Topeka High
Topeka High is a higher-need, large high school in Topeka, Kansas, enrolling 1,578 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Kansas schools and 22% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,578 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 17 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #3.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Topeka's high schools, it stands alongside Washburn Rural High (1,878 students): Topeka High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 14.4:1).
Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka West High (971 students) and Highland Park High (835 students) alongside Topeka 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 Topeka High compares
Topeka High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.1% | ▲ 48% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,578 | top 2% | - | - |
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.
1,578
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in Kansas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$16,138
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
75
in-school suspensions + 105 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 42.8%
White 31.7%
Two or More 12.6%
African American 11.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.7, Topeka High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Topeka Public Schools, which includes Topeka High.
$16,138
Per student
+4%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.8%
State 72.4%
Federal 13.8%
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 Topeka High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka West High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Park High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jardine Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jardine Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Topeka High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools in Topeka
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Washburn Rural High
Standard public school
1,878 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Seaman High
Standard public school
1,190 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Topeka West High
Standard public school
971 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Highland Park High
Standard public school
835 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Hope Street Charter Academy
Standard public school
103 students 6.4:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,578 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Topeka High's federal record.
- Compare Topeka High against another school. Compare schools
- Topeka Public 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 Topeka High
How many students attend Topeka High?
Topeka High has 1,578 students enrolled. It is a high school in Topeka, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Topeka High?
The student-teacher ratio at Topeka High is 16.8:1, which is 22% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Topeka High?
63.1% of students at Topeka High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Topeka High?
The largest demographic group at Topeka High is Hispanic or Latino at 42.8% of enrollment, in Topeka, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Topeka High?
Topeka High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Topeka High rank among high schools in Topeka?
By Resource Investment Index, Topeka High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Topeka, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Topeka on the city page.
Is Topeka High a good school?
Topeka High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Topeka Public Schools?
Besides Topeka High, Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka West High (971 students), Highland Park High (835 students), and Jardine Elementary (729 students). See the Topeka Public 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.