Enrollment
873
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, OH
South High School
Federal NCES profile for South High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390438000714
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #29 of 88
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 873
- students enrolled
South High School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South High School ranks #29 of 88 schools in Columbus, OH.
School address
District: Columbus City Schools District · Ohio
NCES ID 390438000714 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South High School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at South High School
South High School is a large combined-grade school in Columbus, Ohio, enrolling 873 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Ohio, bigger than 92% of state schools at 873 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 873 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Columbus City Schools District spends $20,324 per pupil, 39% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 651 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 873 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 66 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside Kipp Columbus (1,945 students): South High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 17.4:1).
Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students) and Whetstone High School (1,017 students) alongside South 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 South High School compares
South High School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 873 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
873
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 39% in Ohio - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$20,324
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 873 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
279
in-school suspensions + 372 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 74.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 66 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
African American 65.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
White 12.5%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, South High School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus City Schools District, which includes South High School.
$20,324
Per student
+39%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.4%
State 19.7%
Federal 18.9%
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 South High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northland High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whetstone High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Briggs High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Independence High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,029
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 956
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kipp Columbus
Standard public school
1,945 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Great River Connections Academy
Standard public school
1,608 students 26.4:1 students per teacher
Metro Early College High School
Standard public school
869 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Columbus Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
797 students 17:1 students per teacher
Linden-Mckinley Stem Academy
Standard public school
795 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Patriot Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
743 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~873 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South High School's federal record.
- Compare South High School against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus City Schools District'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 South High School
How many students attend South High School?
South High School has 873 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South High School is 16.2:1, which is 11% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South High School?
The largest demographic group at South High School is African American at 65.3% of enrollment, in Columbus, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South High School?
South High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South High School rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, South High School ranks #29 of 88 schools in Columbus, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is South High School a good school?
South High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. 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 Columbus City Schools District?
Besides South High School, Columbus City Schools District also operates Northland High School (1,029 students), Whetstone High School (1,017 students), and Briggs High School (956 students). See the Columbus City Schools District 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.