Can I use Columbia County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Columbia County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Columbia County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Columbia County?

Start with the 9 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Columbia County Schools & Education

Name: Columbia County, Arkansas Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Columbia County, Arkansas

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

93.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,363

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,160

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#18

of 75 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Columbia County

Measured School Summary

Columbia County performs at an average level with a school score of 51/100 and a solid graduation rate of 93.4%.

Funding Context

At $6,363 per pupil, Columbia County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 33% above the Arkansas average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Columbia County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

9 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

51/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #18 of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data.

Completion

93.4%

3.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,363

$203 above the state average

School coverage

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Columbia County has 9 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Columbia County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Columbia County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#18

of 75 Arkansas counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

2,662 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Columbia County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Columbia County, Arkansas

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Consolidated High-Enrollment System

Columbia County supports 3,535 students across nine public schools. The infrastructure includes four elementary schools, one middle school, three high schools, and one specialized school facility.

Magnolia School District Dominance

The Magnolia School District is the primary educational provider, serving 2,662 students across five specialized campuses. The county has no charter schools, keeping the student body within the traditional public district framework.

A Blend of Town and Rural Campuses

School life is split between five rural and four town-based locales, with an average school size of 393 students. Magnolia High School is the largest campus with 780 students, offering a broader range of peer groups than the 322-student Taylor Elementary.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Columbia County

Reported Enrollment

3,535

9 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4

Middle1

High3

Other1

1 School District in Columbia County

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

5 schools

2,662 students enrolled

9 Public Schools in Columbia County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 9 of 9 matching schools

Public schools in Columbia County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
MAGNOLIA HIGH SCHOOL	Record	MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAGNOLIA, 71753Town: Remote	9–12	High	780
EAST SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAGNOLIA, 71753Town: Remote	KG–3	Primary	629
MAGNOLIA JR. HIGH SCHOOL	Record	MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAGNOLIA, 71753Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	595
CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAGNOLIA, 71753Town: Remote	3–5	Primary	538
TAYLOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT	TAYLOR, 71861Rural: Distant	KG–6	Primary	322
TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT	TAYLOR, 71861Rural: Distant	7–12	High	236
EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT	EMERSON, 71740Rural: Distant	KG–6	Primary	159
EMERSON HIGH SCHOOL	Record	EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT	EMERSON, 71740Rural: Distant	7–12	High	156
WALKER PRE-K CENTER	Record	MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAGNOLIA, 71753Rural: Fringe	PK	Other	120

MAGNOLIA HIGH SCHOOL

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAGNOLIA, 71753 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High780 students

EAST SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAGNOLIA, 71753 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–3Primary629 students

MAGNOLIA JR. HIGH SCHOOL

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAGNOLIA, 71753 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle595 students

CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAGNOLIA, 71753 / Town: Remote

Record3–5Primary538 students

TAYLOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT

TAYLOR, 71861 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary322 students

TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL

EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT

TAYLOR, 71861 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High236 students

EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT

EMERSON, 71740 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary159 students

EMERSON HIGH SCHOOL

EMERSON-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT

EMERSON, 71740 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High156 students

WALKER PRE-K CENTER

MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAGNOLIA, 71753 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPKOther120 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,363

State avg $6,160

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Columbia County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arkansas counties have the highest graduation rates?

Newton County (96.3%), Cleveland County (96.1%), and Conway County (95.8%) currently lead Arkansas among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Arkansas?

Across Arkansas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,160. The highest current county values are Dallas County ($9,545), Stone County ($7,285), and Woodruff County ($7,079). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Columbia County?

Columbia County has a school score of 51/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Columbia County?

The high school graduation rate in Columbia County is 93.4%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Columbia County spend per student?

Columbia County spends $6,363 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Columbia County, Arkansas — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Columbia County, Arkansas?

Columbia County supports 3,535 students across nine public schools. The infrastructure includes four elementary schools, one middle school, three high schools, and one specialized school facility.

What are the major school districts in Columbia County, Arkansas?

What is the school experience like in Columbia County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Conway County

Arkansas

+0 pts

51/100

School score

Woodruff County

Arkansas

+0 pts

51/100

School score

Cleveland County

Arkansas

-0 pts

50/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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