Enrollment
1,908
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Santa Ana, CA
Valley High
Federal NCES profile for Valley High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063531006011
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #9 of 12
- high schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- small classes for California
- 71.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley High has class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley High ranks #9 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Santa Ana Unified · California
NCES ID 063531006011 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
105.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley High
Valley High is a higher-need, large high school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 1,908 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,908 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 290 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Santa Ana's high schools, it stands alongside Santa Ana High (2,505 students): Valley High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.2:1 vs 18.6:1).
Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students) and Segerstrom High (2,376 students) alongside Valley 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 High compares
Valley 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 | 18.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.6% | ▲ 29% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,908 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,908
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 22% in California - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.2%
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
$18,933
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 96.9%
Asian 2.1%
White 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
African American 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.1, Valley High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Ana Unified, which includes Valley High.
$18,933
Per student
+15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 54.7%
Federal 19.3%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Segerstrom High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hector G. Godinez | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Saddleback High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 2,376
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,519
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,451
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Santa Ana High
Standard public school
2,505 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Segerstrom High
Standard public school
2,376 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Foothill High
Standard public school
2,126 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Hector G. Godinez
Standard public school
1,687 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Century High
Standard public school
1,519 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Middle College High
Alternative education program
448 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,908 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley High's federal record.
- Compare Valley High against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Ana 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 High
How many students attend Valley High?
Valley High has 1,908 students enrolled. It is a high school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley High?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley High is 18.2:1, which is 15% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 16% 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 High?
71.6% of students at Valley High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley High?
The largest demographic group at Valley High is Hispanic or Latino at 96.9% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley High?
Valley High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 High rank among high schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley High ranks #9 of 12 high schools in Santa Ana, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Valley High a good school?
Valley High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Santa Ana Unified?
Besides Valley High, Santa Ana Unified also operates Santa Ana High (2,505 students), Segerstrom High (2,376 students), and Hector G. Godinez (1,687 students). See the Santa Ana 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.