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Houston County High School

Q: Is Houston County High School a good school?

Houston County High School ranks 177 th of 380 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

177^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 380 Alabama High Schools

Better than 53% of Alabama high schools

Summary

Houston County High School is a small, rural public school in Columbia, AL, serving 322 students in grades 7 through 12 as part of the highly ranked Houston County district.

The most impressive thing about this school is its remarkable success with students from low-income families. With nearly three-quarters of the student body qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school ranks in the 80th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with these students—a standout achievement. This is part of a broader turnaround story: after hitting a low point a few years ago, the school has climbed steadily and now sits in the 53rd percentile overall. The graduation rate is strong at 91.6%, matching the state average, even though 11th-grade test scores in math and science lag behind district and state averages. One area of concern is a significant gap between male and female students—girls perform in the 74th percentile while boys sit in the 35th percentile. The school also shows a clear pattern of strong middle school performance (8th graders score well above state averages in math and science) that doesn't carry through to 11th grade, suggesting students may struggle with the transition to more rigorous high school coursework.

Compared to nearby schools, Houston County holds its own in several areas. It outperforms Cottonwood High School in 7th-grade math and 8th-grade science, though Cottonwood has a perfect graduation rate. Against Dothan High School and Dothan City Virtual School, Houston County significantly outperforms both in 11th-grade math and science, despite serving a higher percentage of low-income students. Headland High School in Henry County scores higher overall, but it serves a much wealthier population, making Houston County's achievements with its own students arguably more impressive. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 20.7% to 10.1%, though it remains nearly double the district average—a persistent challenge worth watching.

322

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,708

Per pupil spending ?

74.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 W Church St
Columbia, AL 36319-3522

(334) 696-2221

District: Houston County

Feeder schools for Houston County High School:

Elementary:

Webb Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.1%

White:

43.5%

Hispanic:

8.4%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Houston County High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 9th percentile in 2021 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (45% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 53rd (2026) from a 9th-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the Alabama median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Houston County's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg49%

Alabama avg39%

Middle school

66^th of 443

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

177^th of 380

Alabama public high schools ?

Top 47%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Houston County

28^th of 139Houston County among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	79.0	66 of 443	85.1%	★★★★☆
2025	63.4	134 of 439	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.6	215 of 442	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	290 of 437	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.7	214 of 432	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.3	281 of 440	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.6	192 of 437	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.2	138 of 423	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.9	185 of 432	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.0	116 of 432	73.1%	★★★★☆
2015	63.7	119 of 430	72.3%	★★★★☆
2014	77.5	63 of 438	85.6%	★★★★☆
2013	79.9	42 of 436	90.4%	★★★★★
2012	63.3	154 of 436	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	41.5	279 of 435	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.0	218 of 435	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	42.2	268 of 425	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	67.7	109 of 417	73.9%	★★★★☆
2007	68.6	111 of 412	73.1%	★★★★☆
2006	38.1	278 of 409	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	43.3	252 of 415	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	40.6	254 of 407	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	85.9	25 of 266	90.6%	★★★★★
2025	73.5	40 of 259	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	54.7	88 of 269	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.9	157 of 263	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	194 of 271	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.9	103 of 266	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.1	78 of 252	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.9	54 of 247	78.1%	★★★★☆
2017	59.4	54 of 205	73.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	92 of 422	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	59.8	149 of 415	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.9	210 of 426	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.0	248 of 417	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.9	221 of 423	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	228 of 415	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	56.4	160 of 399	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.3	77 of 392	80.4%	★★★★☆
2017	58.6	137 of 380	63.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	87.3	28 of 432	93.5%	★★★★★
2025	70.7	94 of 428	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	57.0	163 of 437	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.4	272 of 410	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.0	223 of 421	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.7	195 of 415	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.7	98 of 396	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	83.1	32 of 396	91.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	81.6	56 of 421	86.7%	★★★★☆
2025	64.4	118 of 422	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	46.2	219 of 428	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	312 of 419	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.6	207 of 427	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.2	299 of 418	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.1	203 of 399	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.8	190 of 397	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.6	202 of 380	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	43.4	138 of 281	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.6	117 of 274	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.4	52 of 254	79.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	77 of 355	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	60.5	118 of 377	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	181 of 373	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.3	302 of 370	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	58.3	127 of 376	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.2	236 of 369	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.1	138 of 343	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.4	80 of 331	75.8%	★★★★☆
2017	38.9	132 of 247	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	177 of 380	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.0	228 of 374	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.6	298 of 378	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.3	244 of 371	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.5	134 of 367	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	12.5	337 of 371	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	285 of 366	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.1	234 of 356	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.9	184 of 353	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.5	125 of 351	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	31.6	250 of 353	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	45.7	192 of 358	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.3	253 of 358	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.2	255 of 358	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	47.9	227 of 360	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	20.8	324 of 358	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	36.2	272 of 357	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.9	290 of 359	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	22.5	319 of 358	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	33.5	299 of 357	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.6	273 of 359	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	55.9	161 of 357	54.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	116 of 234	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	24.1	203 of 228	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	182 of 231	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.0	111 of 224	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.0	145 of 228	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.8	160 of 224	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.2	183 of 223	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	42.9	98 of 189	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	97 of 372	73.9%	★★★★☆
2025	34.4	219 of 359	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	256 of 366	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	215 of 358	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	241 of 367	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.2	288 of 359	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.4	298 of 354	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	48.8	180 of 347	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.5	133 of 343	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	69.0	77 of 377	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	51.2	149 of 367	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.5	233 of 375	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	180 of 349	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.0	118 of 361	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	21.7	294 of 361	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	269 of 358	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.6	246 of 349	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	50.3	134 of 315	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	245 of 375	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.2	230 of 363	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.9	323 of 368	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.0	248 of 358	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	80.1	60 of 366	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	8.5	359 of 366	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	259 of 357	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.5	251 of 350	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	35.2	214 of 339	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	52.7	138 of 316	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.0	143 of 325	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	23.5	259 of 325	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	196 of 317	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.8	94 of 326	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	6.8	315 of 319	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	269 of 313	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.0	130 of 300	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.5	108 of 230	53.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)94th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)91st percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)87th percentile~ school

White (2026)78th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2024)51st percentile~ school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+26 vs school

Female (2026)74th percentile+21 vs school

White (2026)56th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)50th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English55%+6 vs state

Science47%~ state avg

Mathematics34%+8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Houston County High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)			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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Houston County High School	Public	7-12	200 W Church St	Columbia	36319	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 696-2221	322	20	16.1	74.2%	140 (43.5%)	142 (44.1%)	27 (8.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)	49.6	177^th of 380 public high schools	53.4%		35	228^th of 374 public high schools	39.0%	51	40.4	45.2	16.2	66.7	27.0	63.5	61.9	40.5	$10,708	$1,765	$8,929
Ashford High School	Public	9-12	607 Church St	Ashford	36312	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 899-5411	413	25	16.5	60.5%	255 (61.7%)	123 (29.8%)	23 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	53.4	157^th of 380 public high schools	58.7%		53.4	163^rd of 374 public high schools	56.4%	6			26.3		29.5			31.6	$9,332	$1,092	$8,227
Headland High School	Public	10-12	8 Sporman St	Headland	36345	Henry County	Henry County	No	No	No	No	(334) 585-7086	442	31	14.4	40.7%	320 (72.4%)	82 (18.6%)	27 (6.1%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	67.9	98^th of 380 public high schools	74.2%		56.9	144^th of 374 public high schools	61.5%	46			29.1		39.4			37.0	$10,041	$898	$9,126
Dothan High School	Public	10-12	3209 Reeves St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1410	1,588	84	18.9	61.5%	472 (29.7%)	920 (57.9%)	144 (9.1%)	30 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (1.3%)	37.9	239^th of 380 public high schools	37.1%		55	155^th of 374 public high schools	58.6%	84			16.7		23.2			28.4	$9,793	$1,107	$8,448
Dothan Technology Center	Public	10-12	3165 Reeves St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 794-1436																			(n/a)
Dothan City Virtual School	Public, Virtual	7-12	323 W Selma Street	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	Yes	Yes	(334) 794-7444	226	16	14.1	54.0%	84 (37.2%)	117 (51.8%)	20 (8.8%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	20.1	311^th of 380 public high schools	18.2%		34.1	231^st of 374 public high schools	38.2%	80	22.2	16.1	7.3	48.4	17.4	77.8	54.8	18.2
Houston County Area Vocational Center	Public	9-12	662 West Main	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	No	(334) 899-3308																			(n/a)
PASS Academy	Public	7-12	323 W Selma Street	Dothan	36301	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	No	(334) 671-1474																			(n/a)
Cottonwood High School	Public	7-12	663 Houston St	Cottonwood	36320	Houston County	Houston County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 691-2587	379	23	16.7	59.6%	286 (75.5%)	57 (15.0%)	22 (5.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	57	141^st of 380 public high schools	62.9%		40.2	209^th of 374 public high schools	44.1%	68	21.7	39.0	24.0	53.3	32.0	44.1	72.7	36.0	$9,749	$1,786	$7,950

Frequently Asked Questions about Houston County High School

What schools feed into Houston County High School?

Houston County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Webb Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Houston County High School?

Students at Houston County High School are 44% African American, 43% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Houston County High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 322 students attended Houston County High School.

What district is Houston County High School in?

Houston County

Is Houston County High School a good school?

Houston County High School ranks 177^th of 380 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Houston County High School!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresNewAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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