Columbia High School

Summary:

Columbia High School is a public high school located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 376 students. The school is part of the Columbia Borough School District, which is ranked 555 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia High School has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby schools, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (35.9%) and African American (7.98%) students. However, the school consistently underperforms on standardized tests, with only 11.9% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Keystone Exams/Algebra I, compared to the state average of 34.1%. Additionally, Columbia High School has lower graduation rates (67.9% in 2022-2023) and higher dropout rates (2.9% in 2022-2023) compared to the nearby schools, such as Central York High School, Manheim Central Senior High School, and Elizabethtown Area Senior High School.

The high percentage of low-income students at Columbia High School, with 85.64% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, suggests that the school may be facing significant challenges in addressing the needs of its diverse student population. Despite spending significantly more per student ($23,567 in 2021-2022) compared to the nearby schools, the continued underperformance indicates that additional support or interventions may be necessary to improve the academic outcomes for all students at Columbia High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

901 Ironville Pike
Columbia, PA 17512-9513

(717) 684-7500

District: Columbia Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
594^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,567

Feeder schools for Columbia High School:

Elementary:

Park Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 376

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.0%

Hispanic:

35.9%

Two or more races:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Columbia High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Columbia High School ranks worse than 88.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.29. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Columbia High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (46%), Hispanic (35.9%), two or more races (9.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia High School is 12.8. (See more...)

Compare Columbia High School employs 29.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia High School is $23,567.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Columbia High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia High School 594^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Columbia High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Columbia Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Borough School District 555^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Columbia High School

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Rank History for all students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	5.45	535^th	583	8.2%
2004	9.14	537^th	590	9.0%
2005	18.59	517^th	593	12.8%
2006	15.32	547^th	604	9.4%
2007	14.77	549^th	615	10.7%
2008	24.97	525^th	621	15.5%
2009	26.34	532^nd	632	15.8%
2010	26.51	545^th	649	16.0%
2011	19.76	576^th	660	12.7%
2012	23.06	564^th	664	15.1%
2013	6.82	538^th	591	9.0%
2014	11.15	523^rd	580	9.8%
2015	32.79	522^nd	680	23.2%
2016	20.43	562^nd	677	17.0%
2017	10.34	584^th	663	11.9%
2018	24.91	533^rd	673	20.8%
2019	27.94	540^th	693	22.1%
2021	24.44	447^th	537	16.8%
2022	15.05	549^th	634	13.4%
2023	11.29	594^th	674	11.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.95	596^th	652	8.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.51	421^st	502	16.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	7.84	244^th	252	3.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.68	541^st	577	6.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Columbia High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	644	27	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	-27	652
1989	643	34	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	689
1990	626	31	4	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	672
1991	603	37	6	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
1992	626	37	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	681
1993	560	35	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	616
1994	553	33	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	602
1995	542	34	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	597
1996	542	34	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	597
1997	553	32	1	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	612
1998	542	37	1	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	614
1999	559	44	4	30	6	n/a	n/a	0	643
2000	540	47	3	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	622
2001	537	55	5	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	638
2002	597	62	5	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	713
2003	597	62	5	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	713
2004	589	52	4	51	0	n/a	n/a	0	696
2005	568	70	7	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
2006	547	79	4	82	0	n/a	n/a	0	712
2007	538	83	5	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	693
2008	528	65	4	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	670
2009	455	78	3	70	1	n/a	n/a	0	607
2010	444	82	6	75	1	n/a	n/a	0	608
2011	415	77	5	75	1	0	0	0	573
2012	363	57	4	81	1	0	5	0	511
2013	359	54	1	108	1	0	13	0	536
2014	370	57	1	107	1	0	21	0	557
2015	231	39	1	72	0	0	13	0	356
2016	232	36	1	78	0	0	14	0	361
2017	241	36	2	98	0	1	13	0	391
2018	205	39	3	111	0	1	8	0	367
2019	203	40	5	124	0	2	5	0	379
2020	214	37	6	130	0	0	9	0	396
2021	192	41	4	121	0	0	17	0	375
2022	190	44	3	146	0	0	29	0	412
2023	173	30	2	135	0	0	36	0	376

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
1988	652	43.0	15.1	n/a
1989	689	45.0	15.3	n/a
1990	672	45.0	14.9	0
1991	657	45.0	14.6	n/a
1992	681	45.0	15.1	n/a
1993	616	41.7	14.8	n/a
1994	602	41.0	14.7	n/a
1995	597	41.0	14.6	n/a
1996	597	41.0	14.6	n/a
1997	612	40.0	15.3	n/a
1998	614	39.0	15.7	n/a
1999	643	42.0	15.3	n/a
2000	622	43.0	14.5	25.1
2001	638	46.5	13.7	29.5
2002	713	47.1	15.1	30
2003	713	47.1	15.1	30
2004	696	45.1	15.4	33.5
2005	721	47.1	15.3	29.7
2006	712	47.1	15.1	45.9
2007	693	51.8	13.4	38.5
2008	670	55.3	12.1	39.7
2009	607	54.5	11.1	43.5
2010	608	52.4	11.5	52.6
2011	573	49.6	11.5	52.5
2012	511	46.5	10.9	60.7
2013	536	40.1	13.3	54.5
2014	557	39.6	14.0	65.5
2015	356	28.0	12.7	67.4
2016	361	28.0	12.8	47.6
2017	391	35.6	10.9	89.3
2018	367	34.0	10.7	95.9
2019	379	37.0	10.2	95
2020	396	37.9	10.4	87.4
2021	375	39.7	9.4	88.3
2022	412	45.0	9.1	82.5
2023	376	29.2	12.8	85.6

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
1988	652	43.0	15.1	n/a
1989	689	45.0	15.3	n/a
1990	672	45.0	14.9	0
1991	657	45.0	14.6	n/a
1992	681	45.0	15.1	n/a
1993	616	41.7	14.8	n/a
1994	602	41.0	14.7	n/a
1995	597	41.0	14.6	n/a
1996	597	41.0	14.6	n/a
1997	612	40.0	15.3	n/a
1998	614	39.0	15.7	n/a
1999	643	42.0	15.3	n/a
2000	622	43.0	14.5	25.1
2001	638	46.5	13.7	29.5
2002	713	47.1	15.1	30
2003	713	47.1	15.1	30
2004	696	45.1	15.4	33.5
2005	721	47.1	15.3	29.7
2006	712	47.1	15.1	45.9
2007	693	51.8	13.4	38.5
2008	670	55.3	12.1	39.7
2009	607	54.5	11.1	43.5
2010	608	52.4	11.5	52.6
2011	573	49.6	11.5	52.5
2012	511	46.5	10.9	60.7
2013	536	40.1	13.3	54.5
2014	557	39.6	14.0	65.5
2015	356	28.0	12.7	67.4
2016	361	28.0	12.8	47.6
2017	391	35.6	10.9	89.3
2018	367	34.0	10.7	95.9
2019	379	37.0	10.2	95
2020	396	37.9	10.4	87.4
2021	375	39.7	9.4	88.3
2022	412	45.0	9.1	82.5
2023	376	29.2	12.8	85.6

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)
2019	$1,193 (6.2%)	$18,178 (93.8%)	$19,371
2020	$798 (4.4%)	$17,527 (95.6%)	$18,325
2021	$1,498 (8.0%)	$17,305 (92.0%)	$18,804
2022	$2,448 (10.4%)	$21,119 (89.6%)	$23,567

Data source: Pennsylvania 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 540^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 594^th of 674 High schools	10.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Columbia High School)	45.9	11.9	34%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Columbia High School)	41.1	22.1	19%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Columbia High School)	57.4	30.4	27%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	379	376	0.8%
African American	40	30	25%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	124	135	8.9%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	203	173	14.8%
Two or More Races	5	36	620%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95%	85.6%	9.3%

Schools Near Columbia High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	PSSA Math (2023)				PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Columbia High School	Public	9-12	901 Ironville Pike	Columbia	17512	Lancaster County	Columbia Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 684-7500	376	29	12.8	85.6%	173 (46.0%)	30 (8.0%)	135 (35.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.6%)	11.3	594^th of 674 public high schools	11.9%		15	549^th of 634 public high schools	13.4%	45	11.9	22.1	30.4											$23,567	$2,448	$21,119
Donegal High School	Public	9-12	1025 Koser Road	Mount Joy	17552	Lancaster County	Donegal School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 653-1871	930	60	15.5	42.6%	708 (76.1%)	33 (3.5%)	134 (14.4%)	11 (1.2%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.3%)	60.4	291^st of 674 public high schools	56.8%		77.4	138^th of 634 public high schools	78.2%	153	23.8	57.9	69.9											$15,206	$968	$14,238
Eastern York High School	Public	9-12	720 Cool Creek Rd	Wrightsville	17368	York County	Eastern York School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 252-1551	632	49	12.9	46.2%	542 (85.8%)	20 (3.2%)	48 (7.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.0%)	76.2	142^nd of 674 public high schools	78.9%		76.8	145^th of 634 public high schools	77.1%	3	56.8	50.4	81.1											$17,493	$650	$16,843
Lancaster County CTC - Mt Joy Campus	Public	9-12	432 Old Market St	Mount Joy	17552	Lancaster County	Lancaster County Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(717) 653-3000	12	21	.5	25.0%	9 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)
Hempfield Senior High School	Public	9-12	200 Stanley Ave	Landisville	17538	Lancaster County	Hempfield School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 898-5510	2,268	139	16.3	33.2%	1,548 (68.3%)	149 (6.6%)	397 (17.5%)	93 (4.1%)	6 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (3.3%)	82.4	95^th of 674 public high schools	85.9%		78.3	124^th of 634 public high schools	80.4%	29	59.7	68.0	72.9											$16,952	$336	$16,617
Penn Manor High School	Public	9-12	East Cottage Avenue	Millersville	17551	Lancaster County	Penn Manor School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 872-9520	1,783	106	16.8	42.8%	1,254 (70.3%)	109 (6.1%)	304 (17.0%)	46 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	65 (3.6%)	77.7	132^nd of 674 public high schools	80.4%		62.8	265^th of 634 public high schools	58.2%	133	55.1	61.4	72.1											$14,974	$1,032	$13,942
Elizabethtown Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	600 E High St	Elizabethtown	17022	Lancaster County	Elizabethtown Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 367-1533	1,249	72	17.2	28.9%	1,056 (84.5%)	32 (2.6%)	85 (6.8%)	31 (2.5%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (3.4%)	71.6	194^th of 674 public high schools	71.2%		80.3	107^th of 634 public high schools	83.1%	87	50.8	59.3	66.7											$17,238	$492	$16,746
Manheim Central Senior High School	Public	9-12	400 Adele Ave	Manheim	17545	Lancaster County	Manheim Central School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 664-8400	935	60	15.6	31.0%	774 (82.8%)	13 (1.4%)	92 (9.8%)	26 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.1%)	67.2	239^th of 674 public high schools	64.5%		78.1	128^th of 634 public high schools	79.8%	111	44.5	56.2	66.5											$19,248	$326	$18,922
Phoenix Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	630 Rockland St	Lancaster	17602	Lancaster County	Lancaster School District	No	Yes	No	No	(717) 735-7860	306	0		95.4%	13 (4.2%)	55 (18.0%)	216 (70.6%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.9%)	2.8	671^st of 674 public high schools	0.4%					(n/a)	0.0	3.3	16.7											$23,872	$2,065	$21,807
La Academia Partnership Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	30 N Ann Street	Lancaster	17602	Lancaster County	La Academia Partnership Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 295-7763	200	23	8.6	100.0%	3 (1.5%)	19 (9.5%)	171 (85.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.5%)	5.5	636^th of 674 public high schools	5.6%					(n/a)	9.5	4.2	19.2	0.0	5.3	0.0	1.4	6.6	6.6	10.5	9.5	12.1	11.0	$680	$604	$76

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia High School

What schools feed into Columbia High School?

Columbia High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Park Elementary School

Is Columbia High School a good school?

Columbia High School ranks in the bottom 11.9% of Pennsylvania high schools.

How many students attend Columbia High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 376 students attended Columbia High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia High School?

Students at Columbia High School are 46% White, 36% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 8% African American.

What district is Columbia High School in?

Columbia Borough School District

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