Enrollment
593
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, MO
Jefferson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 290100000304
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 7
- middle schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Middle School has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Middle School ranks #2 of 7 middle schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100000304 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Middle School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Middle School
Jefferson Middle School is a large middle school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 593 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 593 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 417 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 148 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 593 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students) and Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students) alongside Jefferson Middle 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 Jefferson Middle School compares
Jefferson Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 41% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 593 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
593
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in Missouri - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.0 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 61.0%
African American 18.4%
Two or More 11.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Asian 3.0%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Jefferson Middle School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes Jefferson Middle School.
$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 Jefferson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| David H. Hickman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Bridge Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muriel W. Battle High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- 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
Similar middle 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 (~593 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Middle School 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 Jefferson Middle School
How many students attend Jefferson Middle School?
Jefferson Middle School has 593 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Middle School is 11.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 24% 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 Jefferson Middle School?
27.4% of students at Jefferson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Middle School is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Middle School?
Jefferson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Jefferson Middle School rank among middle schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Middle School ranks #2 of 7 middle 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 middle schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Jefferson Middle School a good school?
Jefferson Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools. 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 Jefferson Middle School, Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students), Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students), and Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 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.