Enrollment
484
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, MS
Columbia High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 280117000149
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Mississippi schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia High School has class sizes larger than 84% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Columbia, MS.
School address
District: Columbia School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280117000149 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia High School
Columbia High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Columbia, Mississippi, enrolling 484 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 484 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 247 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #244, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and White (47%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 173 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 484 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbia School District also operates Columbia Primary School (448 students) and Columbia Elementary School (378 students) alongside Columbia 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 High School compares
Columbia High School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 484 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
484
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 84% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.6%
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
$11,995
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 484 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
120
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.7 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 47.5%
White 47.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Columbia High School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia School District, which includes Columbia High School.
$11,995
Per student
+0%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 41.7%
Federal 28.1%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~484 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia High School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia School District'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 School
How many students attend Columbia High School?
Columbia High School has 484 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia High School is 15.6:1, which is 17% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia High School?
100.0% of students at Columbia High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia High School is African American at 47.5% of enrollment, in Columbia, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia High School?
Columbia High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Columbia, MS. 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 School a good school?
Columbia High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Mississippi 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 School District?
Besides Columbia High School, Columbia School District also operates Columbia Primary School (448 students), Columbia Elementary School (378 students), and Jefferson Middle School (329 students). See the Columbia School District 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.