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 19 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, Florida Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Columbia County, Florida

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

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

96.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

96.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 89.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,638

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,118

School Score

50/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 36/100

State Score Position

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Columbia County

Measured School Summary

Columbia County performs at an average level with a school score of 50/100 and a solid graduation rate of 96.0%.

Funding Context

At $5,638 per pupil, Columbia County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 38% above the Florida average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 6.2 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% lower 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

19 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

50/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #8 of 67 Florida counties with school score data.

Completion

96.0%

6.2 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,638

$480 below 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 19 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.

Dominant-district county

COLUMBIA carries most of the listed public-school system, with 19 of 19 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

of 67 Florida counties with school score data. The county score is 14 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.

COLUMBIA

Elementary to high school visible

9,887 students

Elementary 9Middle 2High 4Other 4

19 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

COLUMBIA is the largest listed district slice, with 19 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?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

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

Data Story

Columbia County Reports 96 Percent Graduation Rate

Education data brief for Columbia County, Florida.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

In Columbia County, the graduation rate is 96.0%, representing a significant differentiation from the national average of 87.0% and the Florida state average of 89.8%. The Columbia school district serves 9,887 students across 19 schools, with most institutions located in town or rural locales. Columbia High School is the largest campus, with 1,737 students enrolled. The county includes one charter school, Belmont Academy, which serves 759 students. Despite the high graduation rate, the per-pupil expenditure of $5,638 is lower than the state average of $6,118 and the national average of $13,000. The composite school score for the county is 49.6, which nearly aligns with the national median of 50.0 and exceeds the state average of 36.2. The average school size across the district is 582 students. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Columbia County

Reported Enrollment

9,887

19 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

5% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary9

Middle2

High4

Other4

1 School District in Columbia County

COLUMBIA

Guide

19 schools

9,887 students enrolled

Open district guide

19 Public Schools in Columbia County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 19 of 19 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
COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,737
FORT WHITE HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	COLUMBIA	FORT WHITE, 32038Rural: Distant	6–12	High	1,158
LAKE CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL	Profile	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	7–8	Middle	970
BELMONT ACADEMY	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32024Rural: Distant	PK–12	Charter	759
WESTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32024Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	696
FORT WHITE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	FORT WHITE, 32038Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	681
EASTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	631
COLUMBIA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32024Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	615
SUMMERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	517
PINEMOUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32024Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	486
RICHARDSON SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	6	Middle	450
FIVE POINTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	400
MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32025Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	398
NIBLACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	PK–5	Primary	282
PATHWAYS ACADEMY	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Rural: Fringe	KG–12	Alternative	87
COLUMBIA VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM (DISTRICT PROVIDED)	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	6–12	Virtual	16
PREK ESE	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	PK	Special Education	4
COLUMBIA VIRTUAL FRANCHISE	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	6–12	Virtual	0
COLUMBIA VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM	Record	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY, 32055Town: Distant	KG–12	Virtual	0

COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,737 students

FORT WHITE HIGH SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

FORT WHITE, 32038 / Rural: Distant

Profile6–12High1,158 students

LAKE CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

Profile7–8Middle970 students

BELMONT ACADEMY

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32024 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Charter759 students

WESTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32024 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary696 students

FORT WHITE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

FORT WHITE, 32038 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary681 students

EASTSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary631 students

COLUMBIA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32024 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary615 students

SUMMERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary517 students

PINEMOUNT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32024 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary486 students

RICHARDSON SIXTH GRADE ACADEMY

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

Record6Middle450 students

FIVE POINTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary400 students

MELROSE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32025 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary398 students

NIBLACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary282 students

PATHWAYS ACADEMY

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–12Alternative87 students

COLUMBIA VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM (DISTRICT PROVIDED)

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

Record6–12Virtual16 students

PREK ESE

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

RecordPKSpecial Education4 students

COLUMBIA VIRTUAL FRANCHISE

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

Record6–12Virtual0 students

COLUMBIA VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM

COLUMBIA

LAKE CITY, 32055 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–12Virtual0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,638

State avg $6,118

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 Florida counties have the highest graduation rates?

Lafayette County (97.0%), Columbia County (96.0%), and Seminole County (95.0%) currently lead Florida 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 Florida?

Across Florida counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,118. The highest current county values are Monroe County ($9,238), Jefferson County ($9,157), and Franklin County ($7,953). 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 50/100, 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 96.0%, 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 $5,638 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Jefferson County

Florida

+0 pts

50/100

School score

Glades County

Florida

+1 pts

50/100

School score

Palm Beach County

Florida

+1 pts

51/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 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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