Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 117 schools in district

Columbus Downtown High School

365 S 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215Columbus City Schools District →
Federal DataCareer and Technical SchoolGrades 11–12Non-Charter
50
Students
Total enrolled
$22,434
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 56% vs nat'l
1.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 90% vs nat'l
33/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 33% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 50 students in grades 11–12 in Columbus, Ohio.
56% above average funding
District spends $22,434 per pupil, 56% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 33th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Columbus Downtown High School is a small high in Columbus, Ohio, serving grades 11–12 with 50 students. The district invests $22,434 per student — 56% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 1.6:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. A neighborhood opportunity score of 33/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Columbus Downtown High School

50
Total Students
1.6 : 1
Student:Teacher
—
Free Lunch
32
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (11–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution17 male · 33 female
34%
66%
Male 34%Female 66%
Student Composition
44%
14%
28%
12%
Asian2%
White44%
Hispanic / Latino14%
Black28%
Multiracial12%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 390438004238

Academic Outcomes at Columbus Downtown High School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
33
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 33th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 6th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 43215

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$22,434Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$22,434
State avg
$17,120
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$9,871
Student Support$4,262
Administration$2,692
Operations$3,365
Other$2,243
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $22,434 spent per student, an estimated $9,938 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
20%
61%
State government
19.8%
Local (property tax)
61.4%
Federal programs
18.9%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $22,434/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 1.6:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (33/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Indianola Informal K-8 SchoolBerwick Alternative K-8 SchoolStarling PK-8Liberty Elementary School
+5 more
↓
Middle
Woodward Park Middle SchoolDominion Middle SchoolArts Impact Middle School (Aims)Wedgewood Middle School
+2 more
↓
High School
Briggs High SchoolWhetstone High SchoolNorthland High SchoolSouth High School
+11 more
School Profile
TypeCareer and Technical School
LevelHigh
Grades11 – 12
Location—
CountyFranklin County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictColumbus City Schools District →
Phone: (614)365-2283
NCES ID: 390438004238
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Columbus seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Columbus City Schools District
High
Briggs High School
980 students · 09–12
● 33 opp
High
Whetstone High School
976 students · 09–12
● 47 opp
High
Northland High School
904 students · 09–12
● 38 opp
High
South High School
903 students · 07–12
● 30 opp
High
West High School
837 students · 09–12
● 42 opp
Mid
Woodward Park Middle School
827 students · 06–08
● 38 opp
High
Linden-McKinley STEM Academy
776 students · 07–12
● 29 opp
High
Columbus Alternative High School
758 students · 09–12
● 29 opp
District School Rankings
Location
365 S 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.