Enrollment
2,007
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, MO
David H. Hickman High
Federal NCES profile for David H. Hickman High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290100000300
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
David H. Hickman High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
David H. Hickman High has class sizes larger than 92% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, David H. Hickman High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100000300 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
119.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How David H. Hickman High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at David H. Hickman High
David H. Hickman High is a large high school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 2,007 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 92% of Missouri schools and 32% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,007 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 54 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #19.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 27 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Columbia 93 also operates Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students) and Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 students) alongside David H. Hickman 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 David H. Hickman High compares
David H. Hickman High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 32% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 41% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,007 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,007
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 92% in Missouri - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.0%
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
$13,719
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.8 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
159
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 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 57.2%
African American 20.3%
Two or More 11.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, David H. Hickman High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 27
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes David H. Hickman High.
$13,719
Per student
+6%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 25.3%
Federal 10.2%
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 David H. Hickman High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Bridge Sr. High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muriel W. Battle High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary Paxton Keeley Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to David H. Hickman High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,492
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,007 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on David H. Hickman High's federal record.
- Compare David H. Hickman High against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia 93'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 David H. Hickman High
How many students attend David H. Hickman High?
David H. Hickman High has 2,007 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at David H. Hickman High?
The student-teacher ratio at David H. Hickman High is 16.9:1, which is 32% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at David H. Hickman High?
27.4% of students at David H. Hickman High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of David H. Hickman High?
The largest demographic group at David H. Hickman High is White at 57.2% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for David H. Hickman High?
David H. Hickman High has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 David H. Hickman High rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, David H. Hickman High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Columbia, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is David H. Hickman High a good school?
David H. Hickman High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. 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 Columbia 93?
Besides David H. Hickman High, Columbia 93 also operates Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students), Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 students), and Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle (736 students). See the Columbia 93 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.