Enrollment
1,985
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Maplewood, NJ
Columbia High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341533002422
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Maplewood · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 12.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia High School has class sizes larger than 77% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Maplewood, NJ.
School address
District: South Orange-Maplewood School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 341533002422 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
150.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.8%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia High School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia High School
Columbia High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Maplewood, New Jersey, enrolling 1,985 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the larger third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 12.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New Jersey, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,985 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 90 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #72, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 165 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
South Orange-Maplewood School District also operates Maplewood Middle School (762 students) and South Orange Middle School (752 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 New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.8% | ▼ 57% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,985 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,985
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.4%
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
$22,813
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors12.0 FTE
Per 165 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 51.9%
African American 28.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.5, Columbia High School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Orange-Maplewood School District, which includes Columbia High School.
$22,813
Per student
-9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.1%
State 24.6%
Federal 3.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maplewood Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Orange Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Mountain Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clinton Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tuscan Elementary 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
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,985 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Orange-Maplewood 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 1,985 students enrolled. It is a high school in Maplewood, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia High School is 13.2:1, which is 12% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbia High School?
12.8% of students at Columbia High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia High School is White at 51.9% of enrollment, in Maplewood, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia High School?
Columbia High School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Maplewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia High School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Maplewood, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Maplewood on the city page.
Is Columbia High School a good school?
Columbia High School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New Jersey. 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 South Orange-Maplewood School District?
Besides Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District also operates Maplewood Middle School (762 students), South Orange Middle School (752 students), and South Mountain Elementary School (613 students). See the South Orange-Maplewood School District district page for the complete list.
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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.