Enrollment
681
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, SC
Columbia High
Federal NCES profile for Columbia High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450336000949
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #13 of 15
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High ranks #13 of 15 high schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450336000949 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia High
Columbia High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 681 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 681 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 302 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #253, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richland 01 spends $18,122 per pupil, 24% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 405 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 681 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbia's high schools, it stands alongside Spring Valley High (2,230 students): Columbia High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 18.3:1).
Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students) and Lower Richland High (1,218 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 South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 681 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
681
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 48% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
68.6%
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
$18,122
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
221
in-school suspensions + 184 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 59.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 85.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 3.4%
White 2.6%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.1, Columbia High is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 01, which includes Columbia High.
$18,122
Per student
+24%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.1%
State 28.3%
Federal 13.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lower Richland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dreher High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crayton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brennen Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,328
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools in Columbia
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Spring Valley High
Standard public school
2,230 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Ridge View High
Standard public school
1,631 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Richland Northeast High
Standard public school
1,340 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
A. C. Flora High
Standard public school
1,328 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Irmo High
Standard public school
1,272 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Dreher High
Standard public school
1,144 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~681 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia High's federal record.
- Compare Columbia High against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 01'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 681 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia High?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia High is 13.9:1, which is 3% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% 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?
100.0% of students at Columbia High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia High?
The largest demographic group at Columbia High is African American at 85.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia High?
Columbia High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Columbia High rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High ranks #13 of 15 high schools in Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Columbia High a good school?
Columbia High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South 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 Richland 01?
Besides Columbia High, Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students), Lower Richland High (1,218 students), and Dreher High (1,144 students). See the Richland 01 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.