Enrollment
1,452
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, IN
Columbus East High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus East High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180036000065
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus East High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #9 of 15
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 35.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus East High School has class sizes larger than 71% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus East High School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Columbus, IN.
School address
District: Bartholomew Con School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180036000065 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus East High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus East High School
Columbus East High School is a large high school in Columbus, Indiana, enrolling 1,452 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,452 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 79 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #45.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 41/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's high schools, it stands alongside Columbus North High School (2,360 students): Columbus East High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 14.2:1).
Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus North High School (2,360 students) and Northside Middle School (908 students) alongside Columbus East 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 East High School compares
Columbus East High School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.2% | ▼ 29% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,452 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,452
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 71% in Indiana - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$11,632
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
177
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 74.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 2.8%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 74.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.2, Columbus East High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bartholomew Con School Corp, which includes Columbus East High School.
$11,632
Per student
-4%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.5%
State 52.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 East High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus North High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northside Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southside Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus East High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,360
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Columbus
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 Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus East High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus East High School against another school. Compare schools
- Bartholomew Con School Corp'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 East High School
How many students attend Columbus East High School?
Columbus East High School has 1,452 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus East High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus East High School is 17.1:1, which is 8% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus East High School?
35.2% of students at Columbus East High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus East High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus East High School is White at 74.7% of enrollment, in Columbus, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus East High School?
Columbus East High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 East High School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus East High School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Columbus, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Columbus East High School a good school?
Columbus East High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 Bartholomew Con School Corp?
Besides Columbus East High School, Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus North High School (2,360 students), Northside Middle School (908 students), and Southside Elementary School (891 students). See the Bartholomew Con School Corp 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.