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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Georgia do not yet include English Language Arts scores, which will not be released by the Georgia Department of Education until winter 2026.

Columbia High School

Q: Is Columbia High School a good school?

Columbia High School ranks 304 th of 457 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

304^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 457 Georgia High Schools

Better than 33% of Georgia high schools

Summary

Columbia High School in Decatur, GA, is a public high school in the DeKalb County School District serving 877 students in grades 9-12, where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high level of economic need in the surrounding community.

Columbia High School is showing real momentum. For the 2025-2026 school year, it earned a 2-star rating and jumped to the 33rd percentile statewide—a significant leap from the previous year's 17th percentile and 1-star rating. This improvement is backed by concrete gains in the classroom: Algebra I proficiency rose from 15.2% to 27.9%, and Biology and US History also saw strong upticks. The school's graduation rate now stands at 80.4%, rebounding from a recent dip. What truly sets Columbia apart, however, is its exceptional work with specific student groups. The school ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide for serving its Special Education students (a 4-star rating) and in the 59th percentile for its African American students—both well above its overall ranking. That said, there is a notable gender gap: male students rank in the 39th percentile while female students rank in the 23rd percentile, suggesting girls may need additional support.

The biggest challenge is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 48.9%—nearly double the district average (26.7%) and almost triple the state average (17.7%). This is a common issue among nearby DeKalb schools like McNair High School and Cedar Grove High School, which rank lower overall, while Clarkston High School (53rd percentile) and Southwest DeKalb High School (36th percentile) fare slightly better. Columbia spends $20,258 per student—higher than the district average—and maintains a favorable 13.9 student-teacher ratio, suggesting resources are being directed toward the programs that are working, especially for students who often get left behind.

877

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,258

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2106 Columbia Dr
Decatur, GA 30032

(678) 874-0802

District: DeKalb County

Feeder schools for Columbia High School:

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

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.6%

Hispanic:

5.4%

Two or more races:

1.4%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Columbia High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 27th percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Georgia average (30% vs 45% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Georgia average (80% vs 87%)

!High chronic absenteeism (49% vs 18% Georgia)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg37%

Georgia avg45%

304^th of 457

Georgia public high schools ?

Bottom 33%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Georgia High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 23High Schools in the DeKalb County

137^th of 202DeKalb County among Georgia districts

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

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	304 of 457	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.1	374 of 451	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	396 of 454	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	361 of 448	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.0	355 of 431	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	387 of 410	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	372 of 438	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	340 of 428	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.9	352 of 420	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.8	310 of 426	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.4	368 of 435	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	19.1	379 of 425	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	23.7	363 of 425	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.8	317 of 396	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.5	286 of 402	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.6	307 of 384	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.7	304 of 372	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.8	316 of 370	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	26.1	299 of 358	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.9	291 of 335	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	154 of 377	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	27.8	284 of 391	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	277 of 382	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	260 of 384	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.1	285 of 372	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	22.1	332 of 431	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.1	382 of 438	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	396 of 435	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	377 of 433	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.0	378 of 430	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	252 of 312	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	266 of 436	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	18.7	365 of 442	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.7	374 of 436	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.6	343 of 436	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.1	366 of 427	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Georgia percentile	Rating
2026	61.3	94 of 339	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	18.9	315 of 347	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	272 of 344	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	236 of 343	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.2	296 of 331	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)72nd percentile+39 vs school

African American (2026)59th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2026)39th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)19th percentile~ school

By subject vs Georgia (2025-2026) ?

Biology34%-13 vs state

United States History30%-9 vs state

Algebra I28%-20 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

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

Schools Near Columbia 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)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2026)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2026)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2026)	Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Milestones Assessment Science (2026)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (2026)	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	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	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	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	Milestones Assessment HS Physical Science 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	877	63	13.9	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	803 (91.6%)	47 (5.4%)	10 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.4%)	27.5	304^th of 457 public high schools	33.5%		17.1	374^th of 451 public high schools	17.1%	70	27.9	34.5	29.7							$20,258	$2,270	$17,988
Towers High School	Public	9-12	3919 Brookcrest Cir	Decatur	30032	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-2202	876	53	16.5	100.0%	21 (2.4%)	676 (77.2%)	121 (13.8%)	31 (3.5%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	19 (2.2%)	19.8	358^th of 457 public high schools	21.7%		15	388^th of 451 public high schools	14.0%	30	18.8	26.0	26.3							$18,332	$1,720	$16,613
Southwest DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	2863 Kelley Chapel Rd	Decatur	30034	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-1902	1,237	81	15.2	99.4%	2 (0.2%)	1,164 (94.1%)	38 (3.1%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (1.9%)	29.4	290^th of 457 public high schools	36.5%		36.7	253^rd of 451 public high schools	43.9%	37	40.1	25.8	31.5							$18,040	$1,913	$16,127
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	298	23	13.2	35.6%	72 (24.2%)	172 (57.7%)	24 (8.1%)	7 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.4%)	85	24^th of 457 public high schools	94.7%		93.2	11^th of 451 public high schools	97.6%	13	73.8	69.8	92.2							$25,160	$2,670	$22,490
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)	No	(n/a)	(678) 503-4880	208	15	13.5	100.0%	4 (1.9%)	182 (87.5%)	7 (3.4%)	13 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	33.4			14.4	11.0	22.1	19.5	2.4		$14,927	$2,325	$12,602
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	11	5	2.2	72.7%	0 (0.0%)	9 (81.8%)	2 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
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	1,901	132	14.3	16.6%	1,127 (59.3%)	437 (23.0%)	109 (5.7%)	79 (4.2%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	144 (7.6%)	83.5	30^th of 457 public high schools	93.4%		82	44^th of 451 public high schools	90.2%	14	67.2	78.2	56.2							$17,609	$405	$17,204
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	941	88	10.6	42.2%	165 (17.5%)	703 (74.7%)	28 (3.0%)	8 (0.9%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	30 (3.2%)	70.4	66^th of 457 public high schools	85.6%		62.9	110^th of 451 public high schools	75.6%	44	70.2	57.9	54.6	65.8	67.6	76.8	47.0	53.0	98.1	$29,100	$62	$29,038
Cedar Grove High School	Public	9-12	2360 River Rd	Ellenwood	30294	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 874-4002	1,121	78	14.3	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	1,033 (92.1%)	64 (5.7%)	5 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.4%)	17.1	378^th of 457 public high schools	17.3%		13.7	396^th of 451 public high schools	12.2%	18	29.3	19.8	21.5							$18,965	$2,012	$16,954
Clarkston High School	Public	9-12	618 N Indian Creek Dr	Clarkston	30021	DeKalb County	DeKalb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 676-5302	1,441	107	13.4	100.0%	125 (8.7%)	712 (49.4%)	122 (8.5%)	449 (31.2%)	8 (0.6%)	5 (0.3%)	20 (1.4%)	41.6	213^th of 457 public high schools	53.4%		19.9	357^th of 451 public high schools	20.8%	144	40.7	43.2	38.0							$19,406	$1,923	$17,483

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia High School

Is Columbia High School a good school?

Columbia High School ranks 304^th of 457 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Columbia High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 877 students attended Columbia High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia High School?

Students at Columbia High School are 92% African American, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Columbia High School in?

DeKalb County

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

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Latest Georgia data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 6, 2026

2025–26 Milestones Assessment scoresAug 6, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 Milestones Assessment scores (updated)Aug 6, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesFeb 19, 2026

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.