Enrollment
820
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, OH
Columbus Alternative High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Alternative High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 390438000680
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Alternative High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Ohio schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio schools.
- #30 of 44
- high schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 820
- students enrolled
Columbus Alternative High School has class sizes larger than 75% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Alternative High School ranks #30 of 44 high schools in Columbus, OH.
School address
District: Columbus City Schools District · Ohio
NCES ID 390438000680 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Alternative High School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Alternative High School
Columbus Alternative High School is a large high school in Columbus, Ohio, enrolling 820 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Ohio, bigger than 90% of state schools at 820 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 410 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Columbus City Schools District spends $20,324 per pupil, 39% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's high schools, it stands alongside Worthington Kilbourne High School (1,623 students): Columbus Alternative High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20:1 vs 20.8:1).
Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students) and Whetstone High School (1,017 students) alongside Columbus Alternative 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 Columbus Alternative High School compares
Columbus Alternative High School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20:1 | ▲ 10% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 820 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
820
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
20:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Ohio - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.0%
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
$20,324
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 410 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 53.4%
White 27.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 4.3%
Largest group: African American at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Columbus Alternative High School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus City Schools District, which includes Columbus Alternative High School.
$20,324
Per student
+39%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.4%
State 19.7%
Federal 18.9%
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 Columbus Alternative High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whetstone High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Briggs High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| South High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Independence High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Alternative High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,029
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 956
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Columbus
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Worthington Kilbourne High School
Standard public school
1,623 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Franklin Heights High School
Standard public school
1,398 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Northland High School
Standard public school
1,029 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Whetstone High School
Standard public school
1,017 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Briggs High School
Standard public school
956 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Hamilton Township High School
Standard public school
873 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~820 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Alternative High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Alternative High School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus City Schools 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 Columbus Alternative High School
How many students attend Columbus Alternative High School?
Columbus Alternative High School has 820 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Alternative High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Alternative High School is 20:1, which is 10% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Alternative High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Alternative High School is African American at 53.4% of enrollment, in Columbus, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Alternative High School?
Columbus Alternative High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Columbus Alternative High School rank among high schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Alternative High School ranks #30 of 44 high schools in Columbus, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Columbus Alternative High School a good school?
Columbus Alternative High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Ohio schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio 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 Columbus City Schools District?
Besides Columbus Alternative High School, Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students), Whetstone High School (1,017 students), and Briggs High School (956 students). See the Columbus City Schools 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.