Enrollment
572
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbiana, AL
Shelby County High School
Federal NCES profile for Shelby County 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 010303001174
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelby County High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Columbiana · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 55.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shelby County High School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby County High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbiana, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303001174 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelby County High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelby County High School
Shelby County High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Columbiana, Alabama, enrolling 572 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Shelby County High School is leaner than roughly 89% of Alabama schools and 19% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 572 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 484 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #89.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Shelby County 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 Shelby County High School compares
Shelby County High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.1% | ▼ 6% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 11% in Alabama - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$11,253
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
White 72.9%
African American 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Shelby County High School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Shelby County High School.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Shelby County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelby County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,235
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~572 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelby County High School's federal record.
- Compare Shelby County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby County'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 Shelby County High School
How many students attend Shelby County High School?
Shelby County High School has 572 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbiana, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelby County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelby County High School is 14.3:1, which is 19% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% 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 Shelby County High School?
55.1% of students at Shelby County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelby County High School?
The largest demographic group at Shelby County High School is White at 72.9% of enrollment, in Columbiana, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelby County High School?
Shelby County 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 Shelby County High School rank among public schools in Columbiana?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby County High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Columbiana, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbiana on the city page.
Is Shelby County High School a good school?
Shelby County High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama 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 Shelby County?
Besides Shelby County High School, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Helena High School (1,383 students), and Chelsea High School (1,235 students). See the Shelby County 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.