Enrollment
1,997
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, MO
Rock Bridge Sr. High
Federal NCES profile for Rock Bridge Sr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290100000299
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rock Bridge Sr. High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 13.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Rock Bridge Sr. High has class sizes larger than 96% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Bridge Sr. High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100000299 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
108.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rock Bridge Sr. High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rock Bridge Sr. High
Rock Bridge Sr. High is a lower-poverty, large high school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 1,997 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Missouri schools and 45% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.5% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Missouri average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,997 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (11%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 53/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students) and Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 students) alongside Rock Bridge Sr. 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 Rock Bridge Sr. High compares
Rock Bridge Sr. 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 45% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.5% | ▼ 71% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,997 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,997
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 96% in Missouri - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors7.9 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
126
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 66.2%
African American 10.7%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Rock Bridge Sr. High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes Rock Bridge Sr. 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 Rock Bridge Sr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| David H. Hickman High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Muriel W. Battle High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary Paxton Keeley Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rock Bridge Sr. High'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
- 1,492
- 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 (~1,997 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rock Bridge Sr. High's federal record.
- Compare Rock Bridge Sr. 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 Rock Bridge Sr. High
How many students attend Rock Bridge Sr. High?
Rock Bridge Sr. High has 1,997 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rock Bridge Sr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Rock Bridge Sr. High is 18.5:1, which is 45% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rock Bridge Sr. High?
13.5% of students at Rock Bridge Sr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rock Bridge Sr. High?
The largest demographic group at Rock Bridge Sr. High is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rock Bridge Sr. High?
Rock Bridge Sr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Rock Bridge Sr. High rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Bridge Sr. High ranks #1 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 Rock Bridge Sr. High a good school?
Rock Bridge Sr. High earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Rock Bridge Sr. High, Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 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.