COLUMBIA SECONDARY SCHOOL

www.columbiasecondary.org

690 Students

High School 6th - 12th

School Overview

Columbia Secondary School (CSS) is a unique public 6–12 institution located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Established as a partnership between the New York City Department of Education and Columbia University, the school is designed to provide a rigorous, college-preparatory education to a diverse student body drawn from all five boroughs. Its curriculum emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as a heavy integration of the humanities.

The school is notable for its close ties to Columbia University, which offers students access to university resources, including guest lectures, research opportunities, and collaborations with faculty. CSS places a high value on inquiry-based learning and critical thinking, encouraging students to engage with complex global issues. With a mission to prepare students for success in higher education and beyond, the school cultivates a scholarly environment that blends the structure of a traditional secondary education with the intellectual intensity and cultural opportunities of a major research university.

690

Total Students

50.0

Full-Time Teachers

13.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

46.1%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for COLUMBIA SECONDARY SCHOOL
Demographic	Student Count
White	188
Hispanic	241
Black	150
Asian	50
Two or More	53
American Indian	6
Pacific Islander	2

Hispanic
241 (34.9 %)
White
188 (27.2 %)
Black
150 (21.7 %)
Two or More
53 (7.7 %)
Asian
50 (7.2 %)
American Indian
6 (0.9 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.3 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 5
Phone:	(212)666-1278
Website:	http://www.columbiasecondary.org
Grade Range:	6th - 12th
Total Students:	690
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	50.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.8
NSLP Participation:¹	N/A
Qualified Free Lunch:	314
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	4

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 98

Grade 7 99

Grade 8 94

Grade 9 106

Grade 10 116

Grade 11 83

Grade 12 94