Enrollment
230
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Whiteville, NC
Columbus Career and College Academy
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Career and College Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370096002902
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Career and College Academy earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Whiteville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 98.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Career and College Academy has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Career and College Academy ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Whiteville, NC.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096002902 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Career and College Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Career and College Academy
Columbus Career and College Academy is a high-poverty, small high school in Whiteville, North Carolina, enrolling 230 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 230 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 203 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 59/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Whiteville's high schools, it stands alongside Whiteville High (639 students): Columbus Career and College Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.7:1 vs 14.9:1).
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and South Columbus High (669 students) alongside Columbus Career and College Academy.
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 Career and College Academy compares
Columbus Career and College Academy 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.8% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 230 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
230
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.0%
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
$12,909
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 230 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: 5.2 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 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
African American 17.8%
Two or More 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 57.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Columbus Career and College Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus County Schools, which includes Columbus Career and College Academy.
$12,909
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 64.6%
Federal 21.9%
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 Career and College Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Williams Township | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Career and College Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools in Whiteville
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~230 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Career and College Academy's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Career and College Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus 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 Columbus Career and College Academy
How many students attend Columbus Career and College Academy?
Columbus Career and College Academy has 230 students enrolled. It is a high school in Whiteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Career and College Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Career and College Academy is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus Career and College Academy?
98.8% of students at Columbus Career and College Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Career and College Academy?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Career and College Academy is White at 57.8% of enrollment, in Whiteville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Career and College Academy?
Columbus Career and College Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbus Career and College Academy rank among public schools in Whiteville?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Career and College Academy ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Whiteville, 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 Whiteville on the city page.
Is Columbus Career and College Academy a good school?
Columbus Career and College Academy earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina 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 County Schools?
Besides Columbus Career and College Academy, Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students), South Columbus High (669 students), and Williams Township (659 students). See the Columbus 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.