Enrollment
2,360
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, IN
Columbus North High School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus North High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180036000066
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus North High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #11 of 15
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus North High School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus North High School ranks #11 of 15 public schools in Columbus, IN.
School address
District: Bartholomew Con School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180036000066 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
166.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus North High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus North High School
Columbus North High School is a large high school in Columbus, Indiana, enrolling 2,360 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,360 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 30 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #20.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 25 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 472 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's high schools, it stands alongside Columbus East High School (1,452 students): Columbus North High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 17.1:1).
Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus East High School (1,452 students) and Northside Middle School (908 students) alongside Columbus North 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 North High School compares
Columbus North 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 30% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,360 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,360
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 36% in Indiana - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.8%
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 472 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
173
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 61.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.6%
Asian 7.6%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, Columbus North High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 25
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bartholomew Con School Corp, which includes Columbus North 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 North High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus East High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southside Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkside Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus North High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,452
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- 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 (~2,360 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus North High School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus North 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 North High School
How many students attend Columbus North High School?
Columbus North High School has 2,360 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus North High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus North High School is 14.2:1, which is 11% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 10% 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 North High School?
34.6% of students at Columbus North High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus North High School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus North High School is White at 61.4% of enrollment, in Columbus, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus North High School?
Columbus North High School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 North High School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus North High School ranks #11 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 North High School a good school?
Columbus North High School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 North High School, Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus East High School (1,452 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.