Enrollment
680
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbus, OH
Horizon Science Academy Columbus
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Science Academy Columbus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 390004202978Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Science Academy Columbus earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #14 of 44
- high schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Science Academy Columbus has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Science Academy Columbus ranks #14 of 44 high schools in Columbus, OH.
School address
District: Horizon Science Academy Columbus · Ohio
NCES ID 390004202978 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+154% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Science Academy Columbus compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Science Academy Columbus
Horizon Science Academy Columbus is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter high school in Columbus, Ohio, enrolling 680 students.
At 17.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Ohio median, within a few percentage points of the 18.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 80.3% of students qualify for free meals, 154% above the Ohio average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 680 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Among 32 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Ohio schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 26.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's high schools, it stands alongside Worthington Kilbourne High School (1,623 students): Horizon Science Academy Columbus is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.9:1 vs 20.8:1).
Horizon Science Academy Columbus is a single-school charter district, so Horizon Science Academy Columbus operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Horizon Science Academy Columbus compares
Horizon Science Academy Columbus on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▼ 2% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 154% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 680 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
680
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 154% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in Ohio - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.9%
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
$13,195
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.3 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
African American 83.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 3.4%
White 2.1%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 83.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.8, Horizon Science Academy Columbus is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horizon Science Academy Columbus, which includes Horizon Science Academy Columbus.
$13,195
Per student
-10%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.1%
State 71.3%
Federal 26.6%
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.
Similar high schools in Columbus
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Worthington Kilbourne High School
Standard public school
1,623 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Franklin Heights High School
Standard public school
1,398 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Northland High School
Standard public school
1,029 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Whetstone High School
Standard public school
1,017 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Briggs High School
Standard public school
956 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Hamilton Township High School
Standard public school
873 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~680 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Science Academy Columbus's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Science Academy Columbus against another school. Compare schools
- Horizon Science Academy Columbus'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 Horizon Science Academy Columbus
How many students attend Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
Horizon Science Academy Columbus has 680 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbus, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Science Academy Columbus is 17.9:1, which is 2% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 14% higher 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 Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
80.3% of students at Horizon Science Academy Columbus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Science Academy Columbus is African American at 83.7% of enrollment, in Columbus, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
Horizon Science Academy Columbus has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Horizon Science Academy Columbus rank among high schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Science Academy Columbus ranks #14 of 44 high schools in Columbus, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Horizon Science Academy Columbus a good school?
Horizon Science Academy Columbus earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio 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 Horizon Science Academy Columbus?
None; Horizon Science Academy Columbus is a single-school charter district, and Horizon Science Academy Columbus is its only campus.
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.