Is Columbia High School a good school?

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

How many students attend Columbia High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 363 students attended Columbia High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia High School?

Students at Columbia High School are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 7% African American.

What schools feed into Columbia High School?

Columbia High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Park Elementary School

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 548 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia High School consistently performs below the state average on Keystone Exams, a standardized test used in Pennsylvania. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 25% in Algebra I, 11.4% in Biology, and 16.9% in Literature, compared to the state averages of 41.6%, 50.5%, and 63.2%, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 67.9% to 87.5% over the past few years, which is lower than the state's average, and its dropout rate has fluctuated between 1.6% and 6.4%, which is higher than the state's average. Additionally, 85.64% of Columbia High School's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, much higher than the state average and the nearby schools like Central York High School, Manheim Central Senior High School, and Elizabethtown Area Senior High School, which generally perform much better on academic measures and have higher graduation rates.

Despite the school's poor performance, the spending per student at Columbia High School is relatively high, ranging from $18,325 to $23,567 per student over the past few years. This suggests that the issue may not be solely a lack of funding, but rather how the resources are being utilized and allocated. The high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds and the low ranking of the Columbia Borough School District may be contributing factors to the school's poor academic performance, and addressing these underlying socioeconomic challenges could be crucial in improving the school's outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

901 Ironville Pike
Columbia, PA 17512-9513

(717) 684-7500

District: Columbia Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
596^th of 686 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: 363

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.5%

Hispanic:

37.7%

Two or more races:

9.1%

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 86.9% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.36. (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.

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 (45.5%), Hispanic (37.7%), two or more races (9.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

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

Compare Columbia High School employs 28.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

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

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia High School 596^th of 686 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:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Columbia Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Borough School District 548^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Columbia High School?

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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%
2024	10.36	596^th	686	13.1%

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%
2024	13.84	578^th	664	13.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	12.60	571^st	665	14.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female 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%
2024	12.05	507^th	513	1.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	8.38	599^th	662	9.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male 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%
2024	16.47	237^th	274	13.5%

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%
2024	5.50	571^st	595	4.0%

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
2024	165	27	1	137	0	0	33	0	363

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
2024	363	28.2	12.8	n/a

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
2024	363	28.2	12.8	n/a

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 (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	PSSA Math (2024)				PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)				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 (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	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	363	28	12.8		165 (45.5%)	27 (7.4%)	137 (37.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.1%)	10.4	596^th of 686 public high schools	13.1%		11.3	594^th of 674 public high schools	11.9%	2	25.0	11.4	16.9											$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	923	57	16.2	47.1%	685 (74.2%)	30 (3.3%)	158 (17.1%)	12 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (3.9%)	51.8	375^th of 686 public high schools	45.3%		60.4	291^st of 674 public high schools	56.8%	84	42.2	47.6	59.6											$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	48	13.0	45.4%	532 (84.2%)	15 (2.4%)	57 (9.0%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.6%)	85.5	77^th of 686 public high schools	88.8%		76.2	142^nd of 674 public high schools	78.9%	65	64.5	62.6	85.7											$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	9	21	.4	66.7%	8 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(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	2,254	138	16.3	41.0%	1,506 (66.8%)	140 (6.2%)	413 (18.3%)	101 (4.5%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (4.1%)	86.8	64^th of 686 public high schools	90.7%		82.4	95^th of 674 public high schools	85.9%	31	71.9	73.3	74.5											$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	1,806	108	16.7	49.7%	1,252 (69.3%)	126 (7.0%)	320 (17.7%)	48 (2.7%)	2 (0.1%)	6 (0.3%)	52 (2.9%)	78.4	126^th of 686 public high schools	81.6%		77.7	132^nd of 674 public high schools	80.4%	6	65.6	64.0	68.4											$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	1,293	74	17.4	37.0%	1,094 (84.6%)	35 (2.7%)	90 (7.0%)	24 (1.9%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (3.5%)	69.4	209^th of 686 public high schools	69.5%		71.6	194^th of 674 public high schools	71.2%	15	56.1	54.4	68.4											$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	880	58	15.1	30.6%	715 (81.3%)	16 (1.8%)	98 (11.1%)	24 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (3.0%)	68.7	216^th of 686 public high schools	68.5%		67.2	239^th of 674 public high schools	64.5%	23	50.5	60.8	65.7											$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	290	21	13.8	93.8%	12 (4.1%)	48 (16.6%)	200 (69.0%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.0%)	1.5	686^th of 686 public high schools	0.0%		2.8	671^st of 674 public high schools	0.4%	15	0.0	0.0	0.0				0.0						0.0	$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	21	9.5	100.0%	4 (2.0%)	19 (9.5%)	167 (83.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	4.1	648^th of 686 public high schools	5.5%		5.5	636^th of 674 public high schools	5.6%	12	11.5	3.8	12.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.9	5.9	6.3	3.8	0.0	3.4	$680	$604	$76

Columbia High School

Columbia High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Columbia Borough School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Columbia High School

Rank History for all students at Columbia High School

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

Rank History for Female students at Columbia High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Columbia High School

Rank History for Male students at Columbia High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia High School

Rank History for White students at Columbia High School

Enrollment information for Columbia High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbia High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Columbia High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia High School

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