Enrollment
306
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Colby, WI
Colby High
Federal NCES profile for Colby High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550273000309
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colby High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Wisconsin schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Colby · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Colby High has class sizes larger than 81% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colby High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Colby, WI.
School address
District: Colby School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550273000309 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colby High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colby High
Colby High is a mid-sized high school in Colby, Wisconsin, enrolling 306 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 306 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 415 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #388, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Colby School District also operates Colby Elementary (354 students) and Colby Middle (204 students) alongside Colby High.
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 Colby High compares
Colby High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▲ 14% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 306 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
306
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 81% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$13,827
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 306 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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
White 62.1%
Hispanic or Latino 35.0%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 62.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Colby High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colby School District, which includes Colby High.
$13,827
Per student
-7%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 57.9%
Federal 12.7%
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 Colby High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colby Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Little Stars Pre-School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colby High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 204
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 37:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~306 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colby High's federal record.
- Compare Colby High against another school. Compare schools
- Colby 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 Colby High
How many students attend Colby High?
Colby High has 306 students enrolled. It is a high school in Colby, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colby High?
The student-teacher ratio at Colby High is 16.1:1, which is 12% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colby High?
43.8% of students at Colby High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colby High?
The largest demographic group at Colby High is White at 62.1% of enrollment, in Colby, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colby High?
Colby High has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Colby High rank among public schools in Colby?
By Resource Investment Index, Colby High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Colby, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Colby on the city page.
Is Colby High a good school?
Colby High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Wisconsin 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 Colby School District?
Besides Colby High, Colby School District also operates Colby Elementary (354 students), Colby Middle (204 students), and Little Stars Pre-School (37 students). See the Colby 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.