Enrollment
1,492
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, MO
Muriel W. Battle High School
Federal NCES profile for Muriel W. Battle High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290100003239
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Muriel W. Battle High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 38.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Muriel W. Battle High School has class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Muriel W. Battle High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100003239 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
100.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.7%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Muriel W. Battle High School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Muriel W. Battle High School
Muriel W. Battle High School is a large high school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 1,492 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.7% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,492 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 52 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #23.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 237 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 475 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,492 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 Muriel W. Battle High 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 Muriel W. Battle High School compares
Muriel W. Battle High 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.7% | ▼ 16% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,492 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,492
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Missouri - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.8%
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
Counselors6.3 FTE
Per 237 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
287
in-school suspensions + 188 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.8 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 37.5%
African American 34.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 11.9%
Asian 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 37.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, Muriel W. Battle High School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes Muriel W. Battle High 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 Muriel W. Battle High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| David H. Hickman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Bridge Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary Paxton Keeley Elem. | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Muriel W. Battle High 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
- 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 (~1,492 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Muriel W. Battle High School's federal record.
- Compare Muriel W. Battle High 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 Muriel W. Battle High School
How many students attend Muriel W. Battle High School?
Muriel W. Battle High School has 1,492 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Muriel W. Battle High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Muriel W. Battle High School is 14.9:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Muriel W. Battle High School?
38.7% of students at Muriel W. Battle High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Muriel W. Battle High School?
The largest demographic group at Muriel W. Battle High School is White at 37.5% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Muriel W. Battle High School?
Muriel W. Battle High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Muriel W. Battle High School rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Muriel W. Battle High School ranks #3 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 Muriel W. Battle High School a good school?
Muriel W. Battle High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Muriel W. Battle High School, Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students), Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 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.