Enrollment
1,092
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clifton, NJ
Christopher Columbus Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Christopher Columbus Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340330004764
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Christopher Columbus Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Clifton · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.3:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Christopher Columbus Middle School has class sizes smaller than 83% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Christopher Columbus Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Clifton, NJ.
School address
District: Clifton Public School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340330004764 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
118.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+99% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Christopher Columbus Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Christopher Columbus Middle School
Christopher Columbus Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Clifton, New Jersey, enrolling 1,092 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,092 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 118 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (19%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1092 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Clifton Public School District also operates Clifton High School (3,150 students) and Woodrow Wilson Middle School (1,255 students) alongside Christopher Columbus Middle 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 Christopher Columbus Middle School compares
Christopher Columbus Middle School on the metrics families compare, against New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▲ 99% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,092 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.3:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,092
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 99% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 17% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$22,669
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1092 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 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 70.7%
White 18.7%
Asian 4.6%
African American 3.2%
Two or More 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.2, Christopher Columbus Middle School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clifton Public School District, which includes Christopher Columbus Middle School.
$22,669
Per student
-9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.1%
State 39.2%
Federal 9.7%
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 Christopher Columbus Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| School #12 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School #17 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| School #13 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Christopher Columbus Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,150
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,255
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,092 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Christopher Columbus Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Christopher Columbus Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Clifton Public School District'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 Christopher Columbus Middle School
How many students attend Christopher Columbus Middle School?
Christopher Columbus Middle School has 1,092 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clifton, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus Middle School is 9.3:1, which is 21% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 41% 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 Christopher Columbus Middle School?
58.9% of students at Christopher Columbus Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Christopher Columbus Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Christopher Columbus Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment, in Clifton, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Christopher Columbus Middle School?
Christopher Columbus Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Christopher Columbus Middle School rank among middle schools in Clifton?
By Resource Investment Index, Christopher Columbus Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Clifton, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Clifton on the city page.
Is Christopher Columbus Middle School a good school?
Christopher Columbus Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of New Jersey 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 Clifton Public School District?
Besides Christopher Columbus Middle School, Clifton Public School District also operates Clifton High School (3,150 students), Woodrow Wilson Middle School (1,255 students), and School #12 (560 students). See the Clifton Public School District 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.