Enrollment
1,202
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia City, IN
Columbia City High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia City High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180228000267
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia City High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Columbia City · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 24.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia City High School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia City High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Columbia City, IN.
School address
District: Whitley County Con Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180228000267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia City High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia City High School
Columbia City High School is a large high school in Columbia City, Indiana, enrolling 1,202 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.4% free-meal eligibility runs 51% below the Indiana average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,202 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 112 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #80, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 401 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 26 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Whitley County Con Schools also operates Indian Springs Middle School (797 students) and Little Turtle Elementary School (583 students) alongside Columbia City 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 City High School compares
Columbia City High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.4% | ▼ 51% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,202 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,202
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Indiana - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$10,149
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 401 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 26 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 89.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.3, Columbia City High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whitley County Con Schools, which includes Columbia City High School.
$10,149
Per student
-16%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 59.3%
Federal 6.4%
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 City High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Springs Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Turtle Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Heights Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary Raber Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coesse School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia City High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,202 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia City High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia City High School against another school. Compare schools
- Whitley County Con Schools'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 City High School
How many students attend Columbia City High School?
Columbia City High School has 1,202 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia City, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia City High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia City High School is 16.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia City High School?
24.4% of students at Columbia City High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia City High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia City High School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Columbia City, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia City High School?
Columbia City High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 City High School rank among public schools in Columbia City?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia City High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Columbia City, IN. 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 City on the city page.
Is Columbia City High School a good school?
Columbia City High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Whitley County Con Schools?
Besides Columbia City High School, Whitley County Con Schools also operates Indian Springs Middle School (797 students), Little Turtle Elementary School (583 students), and Northern Heights Elementary School (504 students). See the Whitley County Con Schools 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.