Enrollment
697
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sunnyvale, CA
Columbia Middle
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063846006464
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Sunnyvale · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- small classes for California
- 42.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Middle has class sizes smaller than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Sunnyvale, CA.
School address
District: Sunnyvale · California
NCES ID 063846006464 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Middle
Columbia Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Sunnyvale, California, enrolling 697 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 697 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,305 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #128, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and Asian (18%) (diversity index 65/100).
10.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sunnyvale spends $21,963 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Sunnyvale's middle schools, it stands alongside Cupertino Middle (1,067 students): Columbia Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 20.1:1).
Sunnyvale also operates Sunnyvale Middle (1,053 students) and Ellis Elementary (768 students) alongside Columbia Middle.
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 Middle compares
Columbia Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 697 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
697
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 30% in California - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$21,963
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 54.1%
Asian 17.6%
White 15.4%
Two or More 7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.0%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Columbia Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sunnyvale, which includes Columbia Middle.
$21,963
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 82.4%
State 12.6%
Federal 5.0%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ellis Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cherry Chase Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cumberland Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bishop Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Sunnyvale
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~697 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Middle's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sunnyvale'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 Middle
How many students attend Columbia Middle?
Columbia Middle has 697 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sunnyvale, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle is 19.4:1, which is 10% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% higher 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 Middle?
42.6% of students at Columbia Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Middle?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment, in Sunnyvale, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Middle?
Columbia Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbia Middle rank among middle schools in Sunnyvale?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Sunnyvale, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Sunnyvale on the city page.
Is Columbia Middle a good school?
Columbia Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of California 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 Sunnyvale?
Besides Columbia Middle, Sunnyvale also operates Sunnyvale Middle (1,053 students), Ellis Elementary (768 students), and Cherry Chase Elementary (622 students). See the Sunnyvale 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.