Enrollment
1,625
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Vestavia Hills, AL
Vestavia Hills High School
Federal NCES profile for Vestavia Hills High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010343001304
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vestavia Hills High School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Vestavia Hills · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 8.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vestavia Hills High School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vestavia Hills High School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Vestavia Hills, AL.
School address
District: Vestavia Hills City · Alabama
NCES ID 010343001304 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
114.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vestavia Hills High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vestavia Hills High School
Vestavia Hills High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, enrolling 1,625 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Vestavia Hills High School is leaner than roughly 89% of Alabama schools and 19% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.7% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,625 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 17 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 37 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 232 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Vestavia Hills's high schools, it stands alongside Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus (548 students): Vestavia Hills High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 18.3:1).
Vestavia Hills City also operates Pizitz Middle School (1,131 students) and East Elementary (771 students) alongside Vestavia Hills High 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 Vestavia Hills High School compares
Vestavia Hills High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.7% | ▼ 85% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,625 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,625
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 11% in Alabama - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,068
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 232 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
50
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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
White 81.7%
Asian 6.9%
African American 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Vestavia Hills High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 37
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vestavia Hills City, which includes Vestavia Hills High School.
$14,068
Per student
+13%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.1%
State 42.8%
Federal 5.1%
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 Vestavia Hills High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizitz Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vestavia Hills High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,131
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar high schools in Vestavia Hills
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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,625 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vestavia Hills High School's federal record.
- Compare Vestavia Hills High School against another school. Compare schools
- Vestavia Hills City'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 Vestavia Hills High School
How many students attend Vestavia Hills High School?
Vestavia Hills High School has 1,625 students enrolled. It is a high school in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vestavia Hills High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vestavia Hills High School is 14.3:1, which is 19% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% lower 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 Vestavia Hills High School?
8.7% of students at Vestavia Hills High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vestavia Hills High School?
The largest demographic group at Vestavia Hills High School is White at 81.7% of enrollment, in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vestavia Hills High School?
Vestavia Hills High School has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher 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 Vestavia Hills High School rank among public schools in Vestavia Hills?
By Resource Investment Index, Vestavia Hills High School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Vestavia Hills, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Vestavia Hills on the city page.
Is Vestavia Hills High School a good school?
Vestavia Hills High School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Vestavia Hills City?
Besides Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia Hills City also operates Pizitz Middle School (1,131 students), East Elementary (771 students), and West Elementary (691 students). See the Vestavia Hills City 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.