Enrollment
383
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, WI
Columbus High
Federal NCES profile for Columbus High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550282000318
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 16.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, WI.
School address
District: Columbus School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550282000318 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.1%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus High
Columbus High is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Columbus, Wisconsin, enrolling 383 students.
At 13.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 16.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 383 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 441 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #414, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 383 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Columbus School District also operates Columbus Elementary (425 students) and Columbus Middle (241 students) alongside Columbus High.
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 compares
Columbus High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.1% | ▼ 58% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 383 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
383
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 50% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$12,903
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
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 383 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 1.6%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.3, Columbus High is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus School District, which includes Columbus High.
$12,903
Per student
-14%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.2%
State 44.2%
Federal 7.6%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Discovery Charter School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 71
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~383 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus High's federal record.
- Compare Columbus High against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus School 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 High
How many students attend Columbus High?
Columbus High has 383 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus High?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus High is 13.2:1, which is 8% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus High?
16.1% of students at Columbus High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus High?
The largest demographic group at Columbus High is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Columbus, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus High?
Columbus High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 High rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, WI. 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 a good school?
Columbus High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. 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 School District?
Besides Columbus High, Columbus School District also operates Columbus Elementary (425 students), Columbus Middle (241 students), and Discovery Charter School (71 students). See the Columbus School 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.