Enrollment
932
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wheat Ridge, CO
Wheat Ridge High School
Federal NCES profile for Wheat Ridge High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 080480000803
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wheat Ridge High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado median.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Wheat Ridge · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Wheat Ridge High School has class sizes near the Colorado median. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wheat Ridge High School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wheat Ridge, CO.
School address
District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080480000803 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wheat Ridge High School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wheat Ridge High School
Wheat Ridge High School is a large high school in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, enrolling 932 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Colorado median, within a few percentage points of the 16.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.6% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Colorado, bigger than 91% of state schools at 932 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 89 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%) (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 77.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students) and Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students) alongside Wheat Ridge 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 Wheat Ridge High School compares
Wheat Ridge High School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▲ 3% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 932 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
932
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 51% in Colorado - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
77.3%
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
$13,124
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.1 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 113 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 37.2%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 2.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.7, Wheat Ridge High School is more mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which includes Wheat Ridge High School.
$13,124
Per student
-19%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 36.9%
Federal 7.8%
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 Wheat Ridge High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ralston Valley Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatfield High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbine High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wheat Ridge High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,875
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,808
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high 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 (~932 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wheat Ridge High School's federal record.
- Compare Wheat Ridge High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County School District No. R-1'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 Wheat Ridge High School
How many students attend Wheat Ridge High School?
Wheat Ridge High School has 932 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wheat Ridge, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wheat Ridge High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wheat Ridge High School is 15.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 1% 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 Wheat Ridge High School?
39.6% of students at Wheat Ridge High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wheat Ridge High School?
The largest demographic group at Wheat Ridge High School is White at 54.0% of enrollment, in Wheat Ridge, CO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wheat Ridge High School?
Wheat Ridge High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Wheat Ridge High School rank among public schools in Wheat Ridge?
By Resource Investment Index, Wheat Ridge High School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wheat Ridge, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wheat Ridge on the city page.
Is Wheat Ridge High School a good school?
Wheat Ridge High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Colorado 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 Jefferson County School District No. R-1?
Besides Wheat Ridge High School, Jefferson County School District No. R-1 also operates Arvada West High School (1,923 students), Ralston Valley Senior High School (1,875 students), and Chatfield High School (1,808 students). See the Jefferson County School District No. R-1 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.