Columbia High School

Summary:

Columbia High School is a public high school in Decatur, Georgia, serving 898 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the DeKalb County School District, which is ranked 138 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past 10 years, Columbia High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Georgia high schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of that time period. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 65.8% to 77.2% over the past 5 years, significantly lower than the state average of around 83-84%. Additionally, Columbia High School's proficiency rates on the Georgia Milestones assessments are consistently well below the state and DeKalb County averages across all subject areas.

When comparing Columbia High School to the other high schools in the immediate vicinity, such as Clarkston High School, McNair High School, and Cedar Grove High School, it consistently underperforms them on key metrics like test scores, graduation rates, and school rankings. The only exception is the DeKalb School of the Arts, a highly selective magnet school that outperforms all the other schools by a wide margin. The extremely high free/reduced lunch rate at Columbia High School, indicating high levels of student poverty, is likely a major factor contributing to the school's academic struggles.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2106 Columbia Dr
Decatur, GA 30032

(678) 874-0802

District: DeKalb County

SchoolDigger Rank:
398^th of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,785

Feeder schools for Columbia High School:

Elementary:	Columbia Elementary School
	Snapfinger Elementary School
	Toney Elementary School
Middle:	Columbia Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 898

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.2%

Hispanic:

3.9%

White:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia High School ranks worse than 86.9% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 17^th among 23 ranked high schools in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.71. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Columbia High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Columbia High School has the largest high school student body size in the DeKalb County School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia High School is $12,785, which is the 4^th highest among 23 high schools in the DeKalb County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Columbia High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia High School 398^th of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Columbia High School in the ranking list.)

DeKalb County:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb County 138^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Columbia High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	21.87	291^st	335	13.1%
2007	26.07	299^th	358	16.5%
2008	24.80	316^th	370	14.6%
2009	29.70	304^th	372	18.3%
2010	30.64	307^th	384	20.1%
2011	38.51	286^th	402	28.9%
2012	27.85	317^th	396	19.9%
2013	23.72	363^rd	425	14.6%
2014	19.07	379^th	425	10.8%
2015	18.41	368^th	435	15.4%
2016	26.82	310^th	426	27.2%
2017	17.89	352^nd	420	16.2%
2018	21.20	340^th	428	20.6%
2019	15.74	372^nd	438	15.1%
2021	11.05	387^th	410	5.6%
2022	17.96	352^nd	429	17.9%
2023	18.27	357^th	442	19.2%
2024	14.71	398^th	458	13.1%

See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, January 24, 2014

Yes my daughter attends Columbia High School and she is on the National Honor Society, Art Club, FCCLA and Concert Band. The teacher she's had a very good teacher. She has one more year at Columbia and she is taking all AP classes. So there are some good students at Columbia and some good teachers. But the learning always start at home. If we had parents communicating more with the schools and checking up on their child education more often then our children would progress a lot better than what they are. It really do takes a village to raise our children. More tutoring is needed and more parent participation. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Columbia High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1280	1280
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1127	1127
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1161	1161
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1274	1274
1994	59	1408	4	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	1484
1995	79	1680	12	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	1780
1996	79	1680	12	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	1780
1997	94	1632	21	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	1760
1998	62	1573	22	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	1674
1999	50	1592	21	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	1678
2000	26	1496	16	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	1550
2001	21	1401	14	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	1449
2002	13	1359	9	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1385
2003	13	1359	9	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1385
2004	11	1391	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1411
2005	1	1414	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	15	1438
2006	3	1414	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	18	1442
2007	3	1346	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	13	1371
2008	1	1296	3	7	2	n/a	n/a	14	1323
2009	1	1288	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	9	1306
2010	1	1256	2	18	2	2	13	0	1294
2011	1	1172	2	15	1	0	8	0	1199
2012	5	1254	5	17	1	0	6	0	1288
2013	4	1332	1	14	3	0	4	0	1358
2014	5	1212	2	7	2	1	3	0	1232
2015	4	1189	4	8	3	0	3	0	1211
2016	4	1199	3	6	3	0	3	0	1218
2017	5	1090	1	11	3	0	7	0	1117
2018	5	983	1	19	5	0	4	0	1017
2019	4	919	1	22	4	0	8	0	958
2020	5	817	2	19	1	1	10	0	855
2021	9	911	5	24	1	1	9	0	960
2022	8	921	4	32	2	1	17	0	985
2023	10	837	5	35	1	2	8	0	898

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1280	86.0	14.8	27.9
1991	1127	77.0	14.6	27.9
1992	1161	76.3	15.2	39.7
1993	1274	73.0	17.5	24.7
1994	1484	101.9	14.6	33
1995	1780	106.3	16.7	23
1996	1780	106.3	16.7	23
1997	1760	105.4	16.7	46.3
1998	1674	104.0	16.1	52
1999	1678	101.4	16.5	54.4
2000	1550	97.5	15.9	41
2001	1449	80.8	17.9	52.8
2002	1385	79.0	17.5	57.3
2003	1385	79.0	17.5	57.3
2004	1411	83.7	16.9	59.3
2005	1438	85.2	16.9	67.5
2006	1442	87.5	16.5	66.9
2007	1371	84.5	16.2	68
2008	1323	84.5	15.7	71
2009	1306	84.0	15.5	70
2010	1294	82.5	15.6	75.6
2011	1199	79.0	15.1	79.1
2012	1288	83.0	15.5	80.8
2013	1358	71.5	18.9	80.6
2014	1232	75.5	16.3	81
2015	1211	68.0	17.8	87.6
2016	1218	68.0	17.9	78.9
2017	1117	70.5	15.8	100
2018	1017	73.0	13.9	100
2019	958	65.0	14.7	100
2020	855	60.5	14.1	99.2
2021	960	63.5	15.1	99.2
2022	985	67.5	14.5	n/a
2023	898	59.0	15.2	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1280	86.0	14.8	27.9
1991	1127	77.0	14.6	27.9
1992	1161	76.3	15.2	39.7
1993	1274	73.0	17.5	24.7
1994	1484	101.9	14.6	33
1995	1780	106.3	16.7	23
1996	1780	106.3	16.7	23
1997	1760	105.4	16.7	46.3
1998	1674	104.0	16.1	52
1999	1678	101.4	16.5	54.4
2000	1550	97.5	15.9	41
2001	1449	80.8	17.9	52.8
2002	1385	79.0	17.5	57.3
2003	1385	79.0	17.5	57.3
2004	1411	83.7	16.9	59.3
2005	1438	85.2	16.9	67.5
2006	1442	87.5	16.5	66.9
2007	1371	84.5	16.2	68
2008	1323	84.5	15.7	71
2009	1306	84.0	15.5	70
2010	1294	82.5	15.6	75.6
2011	1199	79.0	15.1	79.1
2012	1288	83.0	15.5	80.8
2013	1358	71.5	18.9	80.6
2014	1232	75.5	16.3	81
2015	1211	68.0	17.8	87.6
2016	1218	68.0	17.9	78.9
2017	1117	70.5	15.8	100
2018	1017	73.0	13.9	100
2019	958	65.0	14.7	100
2020	855	60.5	14.1	99.2
2021	960	63.5	15.1	99.2
2022	985	67.5	14.5	n/a
2023	898	59.0	15.2	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbia High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$851 (8.3%)	$9,438 (91.7%)	$10,289
2018	$908 (7.8%)	$10,675 (92.2%)	$11,583
2019	$1,090 (8.5%)	$11,695 (91.5%)	$12,785

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 372^nd of 438 High schools	Ranks 357^th of 442 High schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Columbia High School)	24.2	20.3	3.9%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (DeKalb County)	40.6	30.9	9.7%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Columbia High School)	5.5	7.1	1.6%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (DeKalb County)	26.6	21.9	4.7%
End of Course Coordinate Algebra (Georgia)	33.7	26.4	7.3%
End of Course Biology (Columbia High School)	31.5	17.7	13.8%
End of Course Biology (DeKalb County)	38.6	32.6	6%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (Columbia High School)	28.8	19.5	9.3%
End of Course United States History (DeKalb County)	46.5	27	19.5%
End of Course United States History (Georgia)	48.3	37.1	11.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	958	898	6.3%
African American	919	837	8.9%
American Indian	4	1	75%
Asian	1	5	400%
Hispanic	22	35	59.1%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	4	10	150%
Two or More Races	8	8
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Columbia High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2024)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Columbia High School	Public	9-12	2106 Columbia Dr	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-0802	898	59	15.2	100.0%	10 (1.1%)	837 (93.2%)	35 (3.9%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.9%)	14.7	398^th of 458 public high schools	13.1%		18.3	357^th of 442 public high schools	19.2%	41	15.3	17.3	18.5	18.1									$12,785	$1,091	$11,695
Towers High School	Public	9-12	3919 Brookcrest Cir	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-2202	764	49	15.5	100.0%	17 (2.2%)	626 (81.9%)	76 (9.9%)	25 (3.3%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.0%)	11.5	414^th of 458 public high schools	9.6%		11.8	402^nd of 442 public high schools	9.0%	12	12.8	9.0	18.0	13.6									$12,581	$935	$11,646
DeKalb School of the Arts	Public	8-12	1192 Clarendon Ave	Avondale Estates	30002	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 676-2502	302	21	14.3	20.9%	96 (31.8%)	171 (56.6%)	14 (4.6%)	10 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	83.7	40^th of 458 public high schools	91.3%		82.9	35^th of 442 public high schools	92.1%	5	86.3	49.2	65.6	82.5									$12,327	$636	$11,691
Southwest DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	2863 Kelley Chapel Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-1902	1,307	79	16.4	100.0%	4 (0.3%)	1,231 (94.2%)	46 (3.5%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (1.5%)	34.9	271^st of 458 public high schools	40.8%		35	260^th of 442 public high schools	41.2%	11	31.2	26.5	31.1	38.0									$11,703	$767	$10,936
The Anchor School	Public, Charter	6-12	2460 Wesley Chapel Road	Decatur	30035	DeKalb County	State Specialty Schools II- The Anchor School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(404) 909-4555	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)					29.9			5.2
DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	2946 Clifton Springs Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 244-2183	7				0 (0.0%)	4 (57.1%)	3 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Charles Drew Charter Ja/Senior Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	300 E Lake Blvd SE	Atlanta	30317	DeKalb County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(404) 687-0001	925	80	11.6	40.0%	158 (17.1%)	694 (75.0%)	28 (3.0%)	9 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	30 (3.2%)	63.5	115^th of 458 public high schools	74.9%		59.8	120^th of 442 public high schools	72.9%	5	51.3	63.1	47.1	38.4	60.4	57.5	61.2	51.0	58.2	63.3	15.6	42.4	$16,471	$572	$15,899
Decatur High School	Public	9-12	310 N McDonough St	Decatur	30030	DeKalb County	City Schools of Decatur	No	No	No	No	(404) 370-4420	1,853	123	15.0	12.4%	1,079 (58.2%)	435 (23.5%)	123 (6.6%)	65 (3.5%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	144 (7.8%)	78.3	55^th of 458 public high schools	88.0%		76.3	56^th of 442 public high schools	87.3%	1	69.3	57.8	73.4	37.2									$12,629	$472	$12,157
Cedar Grove High School	Public	9-12	2360 River Rd	Ellenwood	30294	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4002	1,123	70	16.1	100.0%	7 (0.6%)	1,030 (91.7%)	58 (5.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (2.0%)	11.3	415^th of 458 public high schools	9.4%		16	374^th of 442 public high schools	15.4%	41	17.2	15.7	9.7	10.3									$11,139	$720	$10,419
Clarkston High School	Public	9-12	618 N Indian Creek Dr	Clarkston	30021	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5302	1,413	92	15.3	100.0%	84 (5.9%)	818 (57.9%)	83 (5.9%)	395 (28.0%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	25 (1.8%)	16.5	388^th of 458 public high schools	15.3%		20	345^th of 442 public high schools	21.9%	43	18.5	18.8	14.4	21.4									$12,511	$873	$11,638

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia High School

What is the racial makeup of Columbia High School?

Students at Columbia High School are 93% African American, 4% Hispanic, 1% White.

How many students attend Columbia High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 898 students attended Columbia High School.

What schools feed into Columbia High School?

Columbia High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Columbia Elementary School
Elementary : Snapfinger Elementary School
Elementary : Toney Elementary School
Middle : Columbia Middle School

Is Columbia High School a good school?

Columbia High School ranks in the bottom 13.1% of Georgia high schools.

What district is Columbia High School in?

DeKalb County

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.