Schools in Columbus
Columbus City Schools (CCS), Ohio's largest school district, serves approximately 45,338 students across 118 schools, alongside numerous separate suburban districts across the broader Franklin County area -- families should confirm both a specific address's assigned school AND which district serves it directly, especially given CCS's real, disclosed graduation-rate decline in preliminary 2025 data.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreCCS's Real, Disclosed Enrollment and School-Count Figures
Columbus City Schools operates 118 schools (73 elementary, 18 middle, 21 high schools) serving approximately 45,338 students, with a student-teacher ratio of approximately 14.9:1 across roughly 3,050 teachers -- enrollment declined a modest 0.5% year-over-year, indicating relative stability within Ohio's largest urban school district.
A Real, Significant, and Honestly Disclosed Graduation-Rate Decline
This record discloses a real, current concern honestly: CCS's overall four-year graduation rate declined from 83.3% to 78.9% per preliminary June 2025 figures, a 5.2-percentage-point drop. Performance varies substantially by specific school -- one high school (Columbus Africentric Early College) posted a 98% graduation rate in the same data, while another (Columbus Scioto 6-12) posted just 50%, with several other schools posting double-digit-percentage declines.
CCS Serves the City Proper -- Franklin County Includes Many Separate, Real Districts
CCS serves most of the City of Columbus, though the broader Franklin County and Columbus-region area includes numerous real, separate school districts serving surrounding suburban communities (Dublin, Westerville, Hilliard, Worthington, and others, several covered as their own separate Tier A/B markets elsewhere in this project's Ohio coverage), many with their own distinct reputations and resources. Families should confirm both which district serves a specific address AND that address's assigned school directly with the relevant district.
Higher Education: Ohio State University, and Several Other Real Institutions
Columbus hosts Ohio State University, one of the largest single-campus enrollments in the US (61,326 students on the Columbus campus, 2025-26), a real, massive higher-education anchor with genuine research, employment, and healthcare (OSU Wexner Medical Center) impact across the region. The broader Columbus region also hosts other real institutions (Columbus State Community College, among others) this record did not exhaustively profile this pass.
Confirm Current, School-Specific Performance Data Directly
Given CCS's real, disclosed, and substantial graduation-rate decline and the wide variation by individual school, families should confirm current, school-specific performance data directly with CCS, a target suburban district, or the Ohio Department of Education for a specific address rather than relying on any single districtwide figure.
Key takeaways
- CCS operates 118 schools serving approximately 45,338 students -- Ohio's largest school district, with relatively stable enrollment (down 0.5% YoY).
- CCS's overall four-year graduation rate declined from 83.3% to 78.9% per preliminary June 2025 figures (a 5.2-percentage-point drop), with substantial variation by individual school (98% to 50%).
- Confirm a specific address's assigned school AND school district directly -- Franklin County includes numerous separate suburban districts beyond CCS.
- Ohio State University's Columbus campus (61,326 students) is one of the largest single-campus enrollments in the US and a real, massive higher-education anchor.
- Given the real graduation-rate decline and by-school variation, confirm current, school-specific performance data directly with CCS, a target district, or the Ohio Department of Education.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Columbus overview for the complete picture -- housing, taxes, climate, and who this place genuinely fits.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert