Enrollment
1,334
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, MD
Long Reach High
Federal NCES profile for Long Reach High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240042000822
👥 S:T ratio 57
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Long Reach High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #1 of 5
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Long Reach High has class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Long Reach High ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000822 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
125.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Long Reach High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Long Reach High
Long Reach High is a large high school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 1,334 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Long Reach High is leaner than roughly 90% of Maryland schools and 26% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,334 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 105 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #29.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (30%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 29 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 222 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Columbia's high schools, it stands alongside Atholton High (1,540 students): Long Reach High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 16.4:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Long Reach 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 Long Reach High compares
Long Reach High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.3% | ▼ 22% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,334 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,334
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 10% in Maryland - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$17,971
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 222 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 30.0%
African American 27.6%
White 23.5%
Asian 11.6%
Two or More 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 30.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.0, Long Reach High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 29
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Long Reach High.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Long Reach High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Long Reach High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Columbia
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Atholton High
Standard public school
1,540 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Oakland Mills High
Standard public school
1,413 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Wilde Lake High
Standard public school
1,197 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Hammond High
Standard public school
1,159 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,334 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Long Reach High's federal record.
- Compare Long Reach High against another school. Compare schools
- Howard County Public Schools'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 Long Reach High
How many students attend Long Reach High?
Long Reach High has 1,334 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Long Reach High?
The student-teacher ratio at Long Reach High is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% 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 Long Reach High?
38.3% of students at Long Reach High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Long Reach High?
The largest demographic group at Long Reach High is Hispanic or Latino at 30.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Long Reach High?
Long Reach High has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Long Reach High rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Long Reach High ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Columbia, MD. 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 Long Reach High a good school?
Long Reach High earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland 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 Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Long Reach High, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard County Public Schools 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.