Enrollment
719
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia Heights, MN
Columbia Academy
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270951000395
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota schools.
- #6 of 12
- public schools in Columbia Heights · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 68.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Academy has class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Academy ranks #6 of 12 public schools in Columbia Heights, MN.
School address
District: Columbia Heights Public School Dist · Minnesota
NCES ID 270951000395 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Academy compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Academy
Columbia Academy is a higher-need, large middle school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, enrolling 719 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 68.8% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 719 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 98 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #72, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students) and Valley View Elementary (568 students) alongside Columbia Academy.
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 Columbia Academy compares
Columbia Academy on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.8% | ▲ 61% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 719 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
719
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 79% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.8%
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
$15,723
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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 54.9%
African American 24.6%
White 11.5%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Columbia Academy is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Heights Public School Dist, which includes Columbia Academy.
$15,723
Per student
+3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 63.6%
Federal 15.5%
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 Columbia Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Heights Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley View Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Park School for Innovation | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~719 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Academy's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia Heights Public School Dist'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 Columbia Academy
How many students attend Columbia Academy?
Columbia Academy has 719 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia Heights, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Academy is 18.9:1, which is 20% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia Academy?
68.8% of students at Columbia Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Academy?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 54.9% of enrollment, in Columbia Heights, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Academy?
Columbia Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbia Academy rank among public schools in Columbia Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Academy ranks #6 of 12 public schools in Columbia Heights, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbia Heights on the city page.
Is Columbia Academy a good school?
Columbia Academy earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota 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 Columbia Heights Public School Dist?
Besides Columbia Academy, Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students), Valley View Elementary (568 students), and Highland Elementary (534 students). See the Columbia Heights Public School Dist 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.