Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 30 schools in district

Vista Ridge High School

6888 BLACK FOREST ROAD, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80923El Paso County Colorado School District 49
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 0912Non-Charter
1,587
Students
Total enrolled
89%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$11,711
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
18% vs nat'l
22.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
45% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 1,587 students in grades 09–12 in COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado.
18% below average funding
District spends $11,711 per pupil, 18% less than the national average of $14,347.
22.4 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is above the national average — larger classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

Vista Ridge High School is a very large high in COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, serving grades 09–12 with 1,587 students. The district invests $11,711 per student — 18% below the national average of $14,347, with a 22.4:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 26% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Vista Ridge High School

1,587
Total Students
22.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
26%
Free Lunch
71
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (0912) are served by this school
Gender Distribution833 male · 754 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility26%
National avg 52% · 420 students
Student Composition
48%
26%
8%
13%
Asian4%
White48%
Hispanic / Latino26%
Black8%
Multiracial13%
Pacific Islander1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 080387006408

Academic Outcomes at Vista Ridge High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
89
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
89%
State avg
81%
National avg
87%

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,711Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,711
State avg
$22,657
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,153
Student Support$2,225
Administration$1,405
Operations$1,757
Other$1,171
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,711 spent per student, an estimated $5,188 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
67%
24%
State government
67.4%
Local (property tax)
23.9%
Federal programs
8.8%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 89% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $11,711/student, 18% less than the national average
  • 22.4:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location
CountyEl Paso County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (719)494-8800
NCES ID: 080387006408
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in COLORADO SPRINGS seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
6888 BLACK FOREST ROAD, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80923
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.