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Columbia Central High School

Q: Is Columbia Central High School a good school?

Columbia Central High School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Tennessee high schools.

Q: How many students attend Columbia Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,401 students attended Columbia Central High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Columbia Central High School?

Students at Columbia Central High School are 44% White, 28% African American, 23% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Columbia Central High School?

Columbia Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Highland Park Elementary School Elementary : J E Woodard Elementary School Elementary : J. Brown Elementary School Elementary : J. R. Baker Elementary School Elementary : R Howell Elementary School Elementary : Riverside Elementary School Middle : E. A. Cox Middle School Middle : Whitthorne Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

347^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 400 Tennessee High Schools

Better than 13% of Tennessee high schools

Summary

Columbia Central High School is a large traditional public high school in Columbia, TN, serving 1,401 students in grades 9–12 as part of Maury County Schools. For the 2025–2026 school year, it ranked 347th out of 400 Tennessee high schools, landing in the 13th percentile with a 1-star rating. This continues a troubling decade-long trend: the school has earned a 1-star or 0-star rating in each of the last ten reporting years, and its statewide ranking has fallen from the 44th percentile in 2015–2016 to its current position.

Academic proficiency is a major concern. Averaging six core TNReady subjects, only 19.3% of Columbia Central students scored proficient, compared with 31.4% for the district and 42.9% statewide. Math is especially weak: fewer than 1 in 10 students are proficient in Algebra I or Algebra II. The school also struggles with retention — its 12.6% dropout rate is nearly double the state average and the highest among nearby traditional high schools, and its 81.2% graduation rate trails the state's 90.5%. Chronic absenteeism affects 24.6% of students, down from 31% a few years earlier but still well above the state average of 18.3%.

The challenges are particularly clear when compared with Spring Hill High School, just 9 miles away in the same district. Spring Hill ranks in the 68th percentile with a 39.2% average proficiency rate and a 90.8% graduation rate — a stark contrast to Columbia Central's 13th percentile and 81.2% graduation rate. Every other nearby traditional high school, including Independence High School, Summit High School, Summertown High School, Richland School, and Mt Pleasant High School, also outperforms Columbia Central. There are bright spots: 9th-grade Biology I proficiency reached 67.9%, above the state average, and chronic absenteeism is improving. However, despite per-pupil spending rising to $11,125 and class sizes shrinking, outcomes have not improved, suggesting the school needs targeted interventions in math, dropout prevention, and student engagement.

1,401

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,125

Per pupil spending ?

29.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

921 Lion Parkway
Columbia, TN 38401

(931) 381-2222

District: Maury County Schools

Feeder schools for Columbia Central High School:

Elementary:	Highland Park Elementary School
	J E Woodard Elementary School
	J. Brown Elementary School
	J. R. Baker Elementary School
	More...
	R Howell Elementary School
	Riverside Elementary School
Middle:	E. A. Cox Middle School
	Whitthorne Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.0%

African American:

27.6%

Hispanic:

23.0%

See top rated Tennessee high schools

Compare Columbia Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2016 → 13th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (19% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Tennessee average (81% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg31%

Tennessee avg43%

347^th of 400

Tennessee public high schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5High Schools in the Maury County Schools

84^th of 141Maury County Schools among Tennessee 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	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	347 of 400	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	331 of 389	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	344 of 392	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.7	331 of 384	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.9	316 of 358	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	283 of 347	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	299 of 342	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	288 of 341	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.6	247 of 273	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	44.3	197 of 351	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	42.0	224 of 300	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	44.2	197 of 296	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.6	161 of 285	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.1	206 of 269	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	63.6	106 of 273	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.1	118 of 267	55.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	24.4	176 of 230	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.1	212 of 233	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.6	230 of 240	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.6	227 of 239	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	206 of 222	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.8	190 of 208	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.4	174 of 187	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	188 of 199	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	16.8	323 of 365	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	328 of 365	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.0	322 of 366	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	312 of 350	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.8	273 of 340	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.8	298 of 337	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	222 of 229	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.8	208 of 213	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	188 of 209	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	185 of 202	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	185 of 189	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.3	141 of 180	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.6	115 of 153	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	132 of 159	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	14.5	294 of 308	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.0	315 of 324	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.6	311 of 337	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.4	305 of 330	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	304 of 322	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	267 of 317	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.0	260 of 302	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.4	259 of 308	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	312 of 368	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.2	334 of 366	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	323 of 359	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	313 of 349	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.4	281 of 332	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	280 of 329	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	181 of 210	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	171 of 183	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	36.6	93 of 151	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.6	118 of 159	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	306 of 330	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	277 of 323	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.6	293 of 326	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	302 of 325	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.9	298 of 312	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	249 of 306	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	280 of 301	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	278 of 307	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)23rd percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)15th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)14th percentile~ school

Female (2025)12th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)7th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)3rd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2025-2026) ?

English II40%-18 vs state

Biology I29%-21 vs state

English I17%-20 vs state

Geometry14%-28 vs state

Algebra II8%-29 vs state

Algebra I8%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Columbia Central 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)				TNReady Mathematics (2026)			TNReady English Language Arts (2026)			TNReady Algebra I (2026)					TNReady Algebra II (2026)					TNReady Biology I (2026)					TNReady Integrated Math I (2026)			TNReady Integrated Math II (2026)		TNReady Integrated Math III (2026)		TNReady US History (2026)					TNReady English I (2026)					TNReady English II (2026)					TNReady Geometry (2026)					TNReady Science (2026)			TNReady Social Studies (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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra I 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Algebra II 9th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 10th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 11th Grade	TNReady Algebra II 12th Grade	TNReady Algebra II All Grades	TNReady Biology I 9th Grade	TNReady Biology I 10th Grade	TNReady Biology I 11th Grade	TNReady Biology I 12th Grade	TNReady Biology I All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math I 9th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math I 11th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math I All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math II 10th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math II All Grades	TNReady Integrated Math III 11th Grade	TNReady Integrated Math III All Grades	TNReady US History 9th Grade	TNReady US History 10th Grade	TNReady US History 11th Grade	TNReady US History 12th Grade	TNReady US History All Grades	TNReady English I 9th Grade	TNReady English I 10th Grade	TNReady English I 11th Grade	TNReady English I 12th Grade	TNReady English I All Grades	TNReady English II 9th Grade	TNReady English II 10th Grade	TNReady English II 11th Grade	TNReady English II 12th Grade	TNReady English II All Grades	TNReady Geometry 9th Grade	TNReady Geometry 10th Grade	TNReady Geometry 11th Grade	TNReady Geometry 12th Grade	TNReady Geometry All Grades	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Columbia Central High School	Public	9-12	921 Lion Parkway	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 381-2222	1,409	83	17.0	29.9%	674 (47.8%)	391 (27.8%)	297 (21.1%)	12 (0.9%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (2.0%)	16	347^th of 400 public high schools	13.3%		18.7	331^st of 389 public high schools	14.9%	16							8.2	< 5%			7.5			7.1	< 5%	8.4	67.9	19.4			28.7													17.9		< 5%		17.1		40.6			39.9		15.4	8.3	6.3	14.3							$11,125	$524	$9,942
Northfield Academy	Public	9-12	1101 Bridge Street	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 381-1468	106	4	27.6	56.8%	59 (55.7%)	36 (34.0%)	7 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	3 (2.8%)								(n/a)																																																							$11,445	$389	$11,056
Virtual Academy of Maury County	Public, Virtual	7-12	1101 Bridge Street	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(931) 381-1468	60	5	12.4	22.8%	37 (61.7%)	10 (16.7%)	4 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (15.0%)	18.9	341^st of 400 public high schools	14.8%		29.7	274^th of 389 public high schools	29.6%	67		33.3	29.4		25.0	35.3								7.1		15.8															21.4		20.0							45.5			45.5					16.7		41.7	41.2		41.7	41.2	$12,465	$732	$11,733
Mt Pleasant High School	Public	9-12	600 North Greenwood Avenue	Mt Pleasant	38474	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 379-5583	390	38	10.4	29.7%	271 (69.5%)	79 (20.3%)	26 (6.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	43.2	227^th of 400 public high schools	43.3%		43.9	202^nd of 389 public high schools	48.1%	25							26.1	5.3			22.4			30.6		29.3			36.1		34.2													27.3				27.0		41.0			39.5		35.6			31.7							$15,409	$525	$13,998
Spring Hill High School	Public	9-12	One Raider Lane	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 486-2207	1,243	70	17.8	11.5%	853 (68.6%)	157 (12.6%)	181 (14.6%)	16 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (2.7%)	60	127^th of 400 public high schools	68.3%		50.7	173^rd of 389 public high schools	55.5%	46							34.4	8.3			31.9		60.0	27.9	< 5%	27.8	76.7		46.2		53.5													37.1				34.5		57.5			55.8		36.3		< 5%	31.7							$12,415	$591	$11,326
Battle Creek High School	Public	9-12	130 Battle Creek Way	Spring Hill	37174	Maury County	Maury County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(931) 487-1305	0			10.0%								53.9	167^th of 400 public high schools	58.3%					(n/a)							16.7	< 5%			15.5		57.1	15.1		20.5	91.1	45.1			57.5										47.5		47.5	30.2				30.2		64.4			62.5	87.9	45.1	45.5		50.6							$15,128	$502	$13,607
Summit High School	Public	9-12	2830 Austins Way	Spring Hill	37174	Maury County	Williamson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 472-5100	1,648	90	18.2	2.5%	1,308 (79.4%)	68 (4.1%)	155 (9.4%)	41 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (4.6%)	86.5	28^th of 400 public high schools	93.0%		88.9	24^th of 389 public high schools	93.8%	4							63.9	< 5%			59.7		≥ 95%	55.1		63.2	67.5	39.1			65.7										53.6		53.4	59.2				59.0		82.5			81.7	≥ 95%	75.8			77.4							$12,335	$238	$11,656
Summertown High School	Public	9-12	411 College Street	Summertown	38483	Lawrence County	Lawrence County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 964-3539	387	29	13.5	32.7%	379 (97.9%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60.2	123^rd of 400 public high schools	69.3%		66.7	87^th of 389 public high schools	77.6%	36							27.9				27.0		39.7			41.7		46.3			44.3										48.5		48.5	35.9				35.9		67.1			67.1			56.6		52.5							$14,122	$770	$12,550
Independence High School	Public	9-12	1776 Declaration Way	Thompsons Station	37179	Williamson County	Williamson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(615) 472-4600	2,097	118	17.7	2.0%	1,641 (78.3%)	53 (2.5%)	216 (10.3%)	84 (4.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	98 (4.7%)	90.5	17^th of 400 public high schools	95.8%		93.7	7^th of 389 public high schools	98.2%	10							58.2				56.6	≥ 95%	≥ 95%	69.9		76.8	73.2				72.9										78.7		77.7	55.1				55.1		85.0			84.5	≥ 95%	68.3		9.1	73.8							$11,962	$244	$11,310
Marshall County High School	Public	9-12	661 W Ellington Parkway	Lewisburg	37091	Marshall County	Marshall County Schools	No	No	No	No	(931) 359-1549	804	51	15.8	23.4%	483 (60.1%)	99 (12.3%)	167 (20.8%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.6%)	43.1	229^th of 400 public high schools	42.8%		42.3	208^th of 389 public high schools	46.5%	21							17.5				16.7		88.9	29.3	9.1	37.4	40.9	43.6			42.6									16.7	47.3		42.0	27.8				27.6		52.0			51.5	89.3	35.8		< 5%	40.2							$10,267	$327	$9,129

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Central High School

How many students attend Columbia Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,401 students attended Columbia Central High School.

What district is Columbia Central High School in?

Maury County Schools

Is Columbia Central High School a good school?

Columbia Central High School ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Tennessee high schools.

What schools feed into Columbia Central High School?

Columbia Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Highland Park Elementary School
Elementary : J E Woodard Elementary School
Elementary : J. Brown Elementary School
Elementary : J. R. Baker Elementary School
Elementary : R Howell Elementary School
Elementary : Riverside Elementary School
Middle : E. A. Cox Middle School
Middle : Whitthorne Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Central High School?

Students at Columbia Central High School are 44% White, 28% African American, 23% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Latest Tennessee data All new data »

2025–26 TNReady test scoresAug 25, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesApr 2, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataFeb 27, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataDec 18, 2025

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