Enrollment
1,075
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Valley Center, CA
Valley Center High
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060006908607
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 9
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center High ranks #6 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006908607 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center High
Valley Center High is a large high school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 1,075 students.
At 21.1:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 38.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,075 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 733 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #600, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (21%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 25 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 377 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Valley Center's high schools, it stands alongside Oak Glen High (78 students): Valley Center High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 13:1).
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center Middle (766 students) and Valley Center Primary (496 students) alongside Valley Center 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 Valley Center High compares
Valley Center 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 | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,075 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,075
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.7%
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
$14,038
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
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 377 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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 63.3%
White 20.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.8%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 1.9%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Valley Center High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 25
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center-Pauma Unified, which includes Valley Center High.
$14,038
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 41.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Valley Center High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Primary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lilac | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pauma Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar high schools in Valley Center
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 (~1,075 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center High's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center High against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center-Pauma Unified'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 Valley Center High
How many students attend Valley Center High?
Valley Center High has 1,075 students enrolled. It is a high school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center High?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center High is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Valley Center High?
38.4% of students at Valley Center High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center High?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center High is Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center High?
Valley Center High has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Valley Center High rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center High ranks #6 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, 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 Valley Center on the city page.
Is Valley Center High a good school?
Valley Center High earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Valley Center High, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center Middle (766 students), Valley Center Primary (496 students), and Valley Center Elementary (476 students). See the Valley Center-Pauma Unified 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.