Enrollment
459
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cerro Gordo, NC
West Columbus High
Federal NCES profile for West Columbus High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370096000373
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Columbus High earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 98.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 459
- students enrolled
West Columbus High has class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Columbus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370096000373 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Columbus High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Columbus High
West Columbus High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Cerro Gordo, North Carolina, enrolling 459 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 543 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #505, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 233 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 459 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students) and South Columbus High (669 students) alongside West Columbus 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 West Columbus High compares
West Columbus High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.3% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.1%
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
$12,909
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
138
in-school suspensions + 95 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.8 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 44.7%
African American 40.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, West Columbus High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus County Schools, which includes West Columbus High.
$12,909
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 64.6%
Federal 21.9%
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 West Columbus High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbus School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Columbus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Williams Township | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Columbus Junior-Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tabor City Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Columbus High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~459 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Columbus High's federal record.
- Compare West Columbus High against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus County 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 West Columbus High
How many students attend West Columbus High?
West Columbus High has 459 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cerro Gordo, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Columbus High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Columbus High is 18.4:1, which is 16% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Columbus High?
98.3% of students at West Columbus High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Columbus High?
The largest demographic group at West Columbus High is White at 44.7% of enrollment, in Cerro Gordo, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Columbus High?
West Columbus High has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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).
Is West Columbus High a good school?
West Columbus High earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina 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 Columbus County Schools?
Besides West Columbus High, Columbus County Schools also operates West Columbus School (814 students), South Columbus High (669 students), and Williams Township (659 students). See the Columbus County 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.