Enrollment
90
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, NC
Columbia Middle
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370459002650
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 82
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 97.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Middle has class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbia, NC.
School address
District: Tyrrell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370459002650 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Middle
Columbia Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in Columbia, North Carolina, enrolling 90 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 97.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of North Carolina schools, with 90 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #35.
Its student body is led by African American (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 90 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Tyrrell County Schools spends $21,536 per pupil, 79% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 73 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 90 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Tyrrell County Schools also operates Tyrrell Elementary (196 students) and Columbia High (176 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 North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.3% | ▲ 47% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 90 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
90
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 21% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
65.6%
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
$21,536
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 90 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 46.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 81.1 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 34.4%
Hispanic or Latino 28.9%
White 27.8%
Two or More 8.9%
Largest group: African American at 34.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.3, Columbia Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tyrrell County Schools, which includes Columbia Middle.
$21,536
Per student
+79%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.0%
State 74.1%
Federal 17.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~90 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Middle's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Tyrrell County Schools'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 90 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle is 12.9:1, which is 18% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% 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 Middle?
97.3% of students at Columbia Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Middle?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Middle is African American at 34.4% of enrollment, in Columbia, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Middle?
Columbia Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbia Middle rank among public schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbia, NC. 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 Middle a good school?
Columbia Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Tyrrell County Schools?
Besides Columbia Middle, Tyrrell County Schools also operates Tyrrell Elementary (196 students) and Columbia High (176 students). See the Tyrrell County Schools 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.