Enrollment
373
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Edwardsville, IL
Columbus Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171353001638
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Elem School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Illinois schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Edwardsville · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 373
- students enrolled
Columbus Elem School has class sizes larger than 90% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elem School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Edwardsville, IL.
School address
District: Edwardsville Cusd 7 · Illinois
NCES ID 171353001638 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Elem School
Columbus Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Edwardsville, Illinois, enrolling 373 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Illinois schools and 27% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 373 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Edwardsville Cusd 7 spends $12,617 per pupil, 26% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Edwardsville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Woodland Elementary School (417 students): Columbus Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 14.4:1).
Edwardsville Cusd 7 also operates Edwardsville High School (2,342 students) and Liberty Middle School (888 students) alongside Columbus Elem 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 Elem School compares
Columbus Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 27% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 373 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
373
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in Illinois - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,617
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
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 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 77.5%
Two or More 10.7%
African American 6.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 77.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.2, Columbus Elem School is about as mixed as the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Edwardsville Cusd 7, which includes Columbus Elem School.
$12,617
Per student
-26%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.7%
State 26.9%
Federal 6.4%
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 Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwardsville High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Albert Cassens Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,342
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 888
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Edwardsville
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~373 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Edwardsville Cusd 7'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 Elem School
How many students attend Columbus Elem School?
Columbus Elem School has 373 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Edwardsville, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Elem School is 17.8:1, which is 27% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Elem School is White at 77.5% of enrollment, in Edwardsville, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Elem School?
Columbus Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Columbus Elem School rank among public schools in Edwardsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Elem School ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Edwardsville, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Edwardsville on the city page.
Is Columbus Elem School a good school?
Columbus Elem School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Illinois 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 Edwardsville Cusd 7?
Besides Columbus Elem School, Edwardsville Cusd 7 also operates Edwardsville High School (2,342 students), Liberty Middle School (888 students), and Lincoln Middle School (736 students). See the Edwardsville Cusd 7 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.