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 48/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 341533002422
0/100100/10048/100
👥 S:T ratio
47
🌟 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 48/100 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
48
Resource Index · Typical
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.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+3 students YoY

Columbia High School held near 1,933 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+3 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 150.4 → 149.4 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+3 students YoY 341533002422 · Maplewood, NJ High · MID · TRAD

1,985 enr · 13.2:1 · 12.8% lunch · RII 48

Nearest enrollment peer: Maplewood Middle School (762 students)

Columbia High School held near 1,933 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+3 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 150.4 → 149.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · New Jersey schools → · Find another →

Columbia High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Columbia High School reports 1,985 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Columbia High School compares

Columbia High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$24,186
per pupil, district-wide - below New Jersey avg of $26,225
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.

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

District finance for South Orange-Maplewood School District reports $24,186 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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

South Orange-Maplewood School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

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. CCD year-over-year: 1,930 (2022-23) → 1,933 (2023-24), nearly flat (+3).

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 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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