Enrollment
523
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Berkeley Hts, NJ
Columbia Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 340153005436
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of New Jersey schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Berkeley Hts · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.1:1
- small classes for New Jersey
- 0.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbia Middle School has class sizes smaller than 72% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Berkeley Hts, NJ.
School address
District: Berkeley Heights School District · New Jersey
NCES ID 340153005436 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
0.7%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
-98% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Middle School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Middle School
Columbia Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Berkeley Hts, New Jersey, enrolling 523 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Jersey schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 0.7% free-meal eligibility runs 98% below the New Jersey average.
With 523 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Jersey median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Against 527 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #166.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Asian (20%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 174 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Berkeley Heights School District also operates Governor Livingston High School (849 students) and Mary Kay Mcmillin Early Childhood Center (256 students) alongside Columbia Middle 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 Middle School compares
Columbia Middle 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 | 10.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 0.7% | ▼ 98% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 523 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
523
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
0.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 98% below the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 28% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$25,496
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 174 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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
White 56.0%
Asian 20.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 7.6%
African American 2.5%
Largest group: White at 56.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Columbia Middle School is more mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Berkeley Heights School District, which includes Columbia Middle School.
$25,496
Per student
+2%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+54%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.7%
State 23.0%
Federal 1.2%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor Livingston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary Kay Mcmillin Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas P. Hughes School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William Woodruff School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain Park School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 849
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar middle 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 (~523 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Berkeley Heights 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 Middle School
How many students attend Columbia Middle School?
Columbia Middle School has 523 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Berkeley Hts, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School is 10.1:1, which is 14% lower than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 36% 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 School?
0.7% of students at Columbia Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Middle School is White at 56.0% of enrollment, in Berkeley Hts, NJ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Middle School?
Columbia Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Berkeley Hts?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Berkeley Hts, 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 Berkeley Hts on the city page.
Is Columbia Middle School a good school?
Columbia Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of New Jersey 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 Berkeley Heights School District?
Besides Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights School District also operates Governor Livingston High School (849 students), Mary Kay Mcmillin Early Childhood Center (256 students), and Thomas P. Hughes School (250 students). See the Berkeley Heights 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.