Enrollment
176
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, NC
Columbia High
Federal NCES profile for Columbia High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370459001788
👥 S:T ratio 56
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 98.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia High has class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Columbia, NC.
School address
District: Tyrrell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370459001788 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia High
Columbia High is a high-poverty, small high school in Columbia, North Carolina, enrolling 176 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11:1, Columbia High is leaner than roughly 92% of North Carolina schools and 30% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 176 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 134 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is led by African American (32%) and White (28%) (diversity index 73/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 176 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Tyrrell County Schools spends $21,536 per pupil, 79% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 37 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 176 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tyrrell County Schools also operates Tyrrell Elementary (196 students) and Columbia Middle (90 students) alongside Columbia 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 Columbia High compares
Columbia High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.5% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 176 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
176
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 8% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
55.7%
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
$21,536
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 176 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 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
African American 31.8%
White 28.4%
Hispanic or Latino 27.8%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 31.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.3, Columbia High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tyrrell County Schools, which includes Columbia High.
$21,536
Per student
+79%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.0%
State 74.1%
Federal 17.9%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 90
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~176 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia High's federal record.
- Compare Columbia High against another school. Compare schools
- Tyrrell County 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 High
How many students attend Columbia High?
Columbia High has 176 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia High?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia High is 11:1, which is 30% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 30% 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 Columbia High?
98.5% of students at Columbia High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia High?
The largest demographic group at Columbia High is African American at 31.8% of enrollment, in Columbia, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia High?
Columbia High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbia High rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Columbia, NC. 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 High a good school?
Columbia High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina 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 Tyrrell County Schools?
Besides Columbia High, Tyrrell County Schools also operates Tyrrell Elementary (196 students) and Columbia Middle (90 students). See the Tyrrell County 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.