Enrollment
1,401
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, TN
Columbia Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470276000964
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Central High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee.
- #7 of 11
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 1,401
- students enrolled
Columbia Central High School has class sizes larger than 91% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Central High School ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Columbia, TN.
School address
District: Maury County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470276000964 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Central High School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Central High School
Columbia Central High School is a large high school in Columbia, Tennessee, enrolling 1,401 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 91% of Tennessee schools and 27% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Tennessee, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,401 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 311 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 412 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,401 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbia's high schools, it stands alongside Spring Hill High School (907 students): Columbia Central High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 13.7:1).
Maury County also operates Whitthorne Middle School (951 students) and Spring Hill High School (907 students) alongside Columbia Central 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 Columbia Central High School compares
Columbia Central High School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 27% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,401 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,401
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 91% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.8%
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
$10,063
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 311 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
257
in-school suspensions + 155 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 44.0%
African American 27.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.0%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Columbia Central High School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Maury County, which includes Columbia Central High School.
$10,063
Per student
-7%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 41.6%
Federal 18.0%
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 Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitthorne Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spring Hill High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Culleoka Unit School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Battle Creek Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Battle Creek Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 951
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 907
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 868
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Columbia
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,401 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Maury County'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 Central High School
How many students attend Columbia Central High School?
Columbia Central High School has 1,401 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Central High School is 19.5:1, which is 27% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Central High School is White at 44.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Central High School?
Columbia Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Columbia Central High School rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Central High School ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Columbia, TN. 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 on the city page.
Is Columbia Central High School a good school?
Columbia Central High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Tennessee schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Tennessee. 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 Maury County?
Besides Columbia Central High School, Maury County also operates Whitthorne Middle School (951 students), Spring Hill High School (907 students), and Culleoka Unit School (868 students). See the Maury County 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.