Enrollment
1,337
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, NE
Columbus High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 310534000168
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Nebraska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Nebraska.
- #7 of 11
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus High School has class sizes larger than 90% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus High School ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Columbus, NE.
School address
District: Columbus Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310534000168 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus High School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus High School
Columbus High School is a large high school in Columbus, Nebraska, enrolling 1,337 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 90% of Nebraska schools and 30% above the 13.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 34.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Nebraska, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,337 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 20 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (45%) (diversity index 55/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Columbus Public Schools spends $12,223 per pupil, 31% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Columbus Public Schools also operates Columbus Middle School (1,166 students) and Centennial Elementary School (353 students) alongside Columbus 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 High School compares
Columbus High School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▲ 11% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,337 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,337
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 90% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,223
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
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 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
120
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.1%
White 45.0%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Columbus High School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus Public Schools, which includes Columbus High School.
$12,223
Per student
-31%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.5%
State 38.1%
Federal 10.3%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centennial Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lost Creek Elementary Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Park Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,166
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 318
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 304
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,337 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus High School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus Public 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 High School
How many students attend Columbus High School?
Columbus High School has 1,337 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus High School is 17.6:1, which is 30% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus High School?
34.4% of students at Columbus High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus High School is Hispanic or Latino at 50.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus High School?
Columbus High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 High School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus High School ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Columbus, NE. 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 High School a good school?
Columbus High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Nebraska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Nebraska. 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 Public Schools?
Besides Columbus High School, Columbus Public Schools also operates Columbus Middle School (1,166 students), Centennial Elementary School (353 students), and Lost Creek Elementary Sch (318 students). See the Columbus Public 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.