Enrollment
583
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tustin, CA
Columbus Tustin Middle
Federal NCES profile for Columbus Tustin Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064015006635
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus Tustin Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Tustin · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.4:1
- students per teacher
- 62.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus Tustin Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Tustin Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Tustin, CA.
School address
District: Tustin Unified · California
NCES ID 064015006635 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus Tustin Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus Tustin Middle
Columbus Tustin Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Tustin, California, enrolling 583 students.
At 22.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 583 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,963 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #124, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 194 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Tustin's middle schools, it stands alongside Pioneer Middle (971 students): Columbus Tustin Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.4:1 vs 30.3:1).
Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students) and Foothill High (2,126 students) alongside Columbus Tustin Middle.
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 Tustin Middle compares
Columbus Tustin Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.7% | ▲ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 583 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
583
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 57% in California - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$13,372
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 194 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 56 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 81.0%
Asian 7.5%
White 5.8%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, Columbus Tustin Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tustin Unified, which includes Columbus Tustin Middle.
$13,372
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 38.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Tustin Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold O. Beckman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Foothill High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tustin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sycamore Magnet Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus Tustin Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,776
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in Tustin
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~583 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus Tustin Middle's federal record.
- Compare Columbus Tustin Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Tustin Unified'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 Tustin Middle
How many students attend Columbus Tustin Middle?
Columbus Tustin Middle has 583 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tustin, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus Tustin Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus Tustin Middle is 22.4:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus Tustin Middle?
62.7% of students at Columbus Tustin Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus Tustin Middle?
The largest demographic group at Columbus Tustin Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 81.0% of enrollment, in Tustin, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus Tustin Middle?
Columbus Tustin Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Tustin Middle rank among middle schools in Tustin?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus Tustin Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Tustin, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tustin on the city page.
Is Columbus Tustin Middle a good school?
Columbus Tustin Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California 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 Tustin Unified?
Besides Columbus Tustin Middle, Tustin Unified also operates Arnold O. Beckman High (2,776 students), Foothill High (2,126 students), and Tustin High (1,627 students). See the Tustin Unified 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.