Enrollment
583
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aurora, CO
Vega Collegiate Academy
Federal NCES profile for Vega Collegiate Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 080234006732Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vega Collegiate Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Colorado schools.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.6:1
- large classes for Colorado
- 93.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vega Collegiate Academy has class sizes larger than 91% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vega Collegiate Academy ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in Aurora, CO.
School address
NCES ID 080234006732 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.6:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.7%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+143% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vega Collegiate Academy compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vega Collegiate Academy
Vega Collegiate Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Aurora, Colorado, enrolling 583 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.6:1 is larger than about 91% of Colorado schools and 30% above the 16.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 93.7% of students qualify for free meals, 143% above the Colorado average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 583 puts it in the larger third of Colorado schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Among 41 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Colorado schools statewide, it ranks #35, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and Asian (25%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a also operates Aurora Central Campus (2,468 students) and Rangeview High School (2,078 students) alongside Vega Collegiate Academy.
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 Vega Collegiate Academy compares
Vega Collegiate Academy on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.7% | ▲ 143% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 583 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.6:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
583
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 143% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.6:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 91% in Colorado - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$16,314
per pupil, district-wide
- above Colorado avg of $16,273
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 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 62.6%
Asian 25.2%
African American 5.5%
White 3.1%
Two or More 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.0, Vega Collegiate Academy is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a, which includes Vega Collegiate Academy.
$16,314
Per student
+0%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.4%
State 41.1%
Federal 12.5%
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 Vega Collegiate Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Central Campus | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rangeview High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hinkley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vega Collegiate Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,468
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,078
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,748
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,527
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary 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 (~583 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vega Collegiate Academy's federal record.
- Compare Vega Collegiate Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a'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 Vega Collegiate Academy
How many students attend Vega Collegiate Academy?
Vega Collegiate Academy has 583 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aurora, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vega Collegiate Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vega Collegiate Academy is 21.6:1, which is 30% higher than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vega Collegiate Academy?
93.7% of students at Vega Collegiate Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vega Collegiate Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vega Collegiate Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment, in Aurora, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vega Collegiate Academy?
Vega Collegiate Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Vega Collegiate Academy rank among elementary schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Vega Collegiate Academy ranks #6 of 6 elementary 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 elementary schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Vega Collegiate Academy a good school?
Vega Collegiate Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of 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 Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a?
Besides Vega Collegiate Academy, Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a also operates Aurora Central Campus (2,468 students), Rangeview High School (2,078 students), and Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory (2,045 students). See the Aurora Joint District No. 28 of the Counties of Adams and a 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.