Is Southern Columbia High School a good school?

Southern Columbia High School ranks 382 nd of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southern Columbia High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 364 students attended Southern Columbia High School.

What is the racial makeup of Southern Columbia High School?

Students at Southern Columbia High School are 93% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Southern Columbia High School?

Southern Columbia High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Hartman Elementary Center Middle : Southern Columbia Middle School

Southern Columbia High School

Summary:

Southern Columbia High School is a public high school located in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 378. The school is part of the Southern Columbia Area School District, which is ranked 163 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southern Columbia High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in Pennsylvania, with rankings ranging from 29th to 382nd out of hundreds of schools over the past decade. The school's Keystone Exam proficiency rates are significantly higher than the state averages in Algebra I (61.2% vs. 41.6%), Biology (33.3% vs. 50.5%), and Literature (57.1% vs. 63.2%) for the 2023-2024 school year. Compared to nearby schools like North Schuylkill Junior/Senior High School and Shamokin Area High School, Southern Columbia High School outperforms them in Keystone Exam proficiency rates across all subjects.

Southern Columbia High School has maintained a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.0% to 93.8% over the past few years, which is on par with or better than the nearby schools. The school's dropout rate is also low, ranging from 0.3% to 1.6%, indicating a strong focus on student retention and success. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 14.55% to 19.12% over the past few years, which is significantly lower than the nearby schools. The school's student-teacher ratio is also lower than the surrounding schools, ranging from 13.6 to 14.4, suggesting a more favorable learning environment.

Detail:

Public 9-12

812 Southern Drive
Catawissa, PA 17820-8410

(570) 356-3450

District: Southern Columbia Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
382^nd of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,695

Feeder schools for Southern Columbia High School:

Elementary:	Hartman Elementary Center
Middle:	Southern Columbia Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 364

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.6%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Hispanic:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26.4%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Southern Columbia High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southern Columbia High School ranks worse than 55.7% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.89. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Southern Columbia High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92.6%), two or more races (3%), Hispanic (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southern Columbia High School is 13.3. (See more...)

Compare Southern Columbia High School employs 27.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southern Columbia High School is $15,695.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southern Columbia High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southern Columbia High School 382^nd of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Southern Columbia High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Southern Columbia Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Southern Columbia Area School District 163^rd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Southern Columbia High School?

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Rank History for Southern Columbia High School

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Rank History for all students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	70.57	165^th	583	71.7%
2004	80.39	100^th	590	83.1%
2005	75.84	120^th	593	79.8%
2006	76.81	107^th	604	82.3%
2007	72.06	155^th	615	74.8%
2008	80.70	76^th	621	87.8%
2009	87.28	33^rd	632	94.8%
2010	85.26	39^th	649	94.0%
2011	79.84	78^th	660	88.2%
2012	83.68	52^nd	664	92.2%
2013	77.63	103^rd	591	82.6%
2014	86.33	42^nd	580	92.8%
2015	81.14	91^st	680	86.6%
2016	80.26	99^th	677	85.4%
2017	81.96	86^th	663	87.0%
2018	83.36	69^th	673	89.7%
2019	89.04	29^th	693	95.8%
2021	78.19	107^th	537	80.1%
2022	84.51	69^th	634	89.1%
2023	81.90	99^th	674	85.3%
2024	50.89	382^nd	686	44.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.85	258^th	652	60.4%
2024	61.43	245^th	664	63.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	50.84	374^th	665	43.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	96.15	20^th	502	96.0%
2024	66.93	119^th	513	76.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	49.74	368^th	662	44.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Southern Columbia High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	73.97	135^th	577	76.6%
2024	37.14	397^th	595	33.3%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Southern Columbia High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	612	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	614
1989	602	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	606
1990	582	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	586
1991	588	0	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	592
1992	609	3	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	615
1993	608	1	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	611
1994	599	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	602
1995	643	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	650
1996	643	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	650
1997	648	0	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	654
1998	669	3	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	680
1999	693	5	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	704
2000	961	4	5	12	0	n/a	n/a	982
2001	466	4	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	474
2002	461	4	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	474
2003	461	4	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	474
2004	450	3	7	7	0	n/a	n/a	467
2005	459	3	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	473
2006	461	3	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	478
2007	445	1	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	458
2008	423	1	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	433
2009	406	3	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	416
2010	401	2	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	411
2011	405	4	2	4	0	0	0	415
2012	408	1	3	4	0	0	1	417
2013	426	1	2	8	0	0	1	438
2014	417	1	2	4	2	0	1	427
2015	394	3	1	6	2	0	2	408
2016	390	4	1	6	4	1	3	409
2017	389	3	2	4	3	1	3	405
2018	402	3	2	3	2	1	4	417
2019	415	1	2	7	2	0	5	432
2020	377	2	2	6	0	0	4	391
2021	368	2	1	10	1	0	5	387
2022	353	3	4	10	0	0	9	379
2023	355	4	2	10	1	0	6	378
2024	337	4	2	10	0	0	11	364

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southern Columbia High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	614	40.0	15.3	n/a
1989	606	40.0	15.1	n/a
1990	586	38.0	15.4	0
1991	592	39.0	15.1	n/a
1992	615	40.0	15.3	n/a
1993	611	33.9	18.0	n/a
1994	602	34.4	17.5	n/a
1995	650	36.5	17.8	n/a
1996	650	36.5	17.8	n/a
1997	654	36.5	17.9	n/a
1998	680	38.5	17.7	n/a
1999	704	39.6	17.8	n/a
2000	982	44.0	22.3	8.2
2001	474	27.6	17.2	17.5
2002	474	32.0	14.8	15.6
2003	474	32.0	14.8	15.6
2004	467	31.5	14.8	15.4
2005	473	28.0	16.9	15.6
2006	478	30.5	15.7	25.5
2007	458	31.3	14.6	25.5
2008	433	32.7	13.2	32.6
2009	416	32.2	12.9	32
2010	411	33.2	12.3	20.9
2011	415	34.2	12.1	23.4
2012	417	33.4	12.4	26.1
2013	438	33.5	13.0	23.5
2014	427	30.0	14.2	18.3
2015	408	29.0	14.0	22.3
2016	409	28.0	14.6	18.1
2017	405	28.1	14.4	24.4
2018	417	28.8	14.4	20.9
2019	432	28.2	15.2	20.6
2020	391	28.3	13.7	15.6
2021	387	28.3	13.6	19.1
2022	379	26.2	14.4	16.4
2023	378	27.2	13.8	14.6
2024	364	27.3	13.3	26.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Southern Columbia High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	614	40.0	15.3	n/a
1989	606	40.0	15.1	n/a
1990	586	38.0	15.4	0
1991	592	39.0	15.1	n/a
1992	615	40.0	15.3	n/a
1993	611	33.9	18.0	n/a
1994	602	34.4	17.5	n/a
1995	650	36.5	17.8	n/a
1996	650	36.5	17.8	n/a
1997	654	36.5	17.9	n/a
1998	680	38.5	17.7	n/a
1999	704	39.6	17.8	n/a
2000	982	44.0	22.3	8.2
2001	474	27.6	17.2	17.5
2002	474	32.0	14.8	15.6
2003	474	32.0	14.8	15.6
2004	467	31.5	14.8	15.4
2005	473	28.0	16.9	15.6
2006	478	30.5	15.7	25.5
2007	458	31.3	14.6	25.5
2008	433	32.7	13.2	32.6
2009	416	32.2	12.9	32
2010	411	33.2	12.3	20.9
2011	415	34.2	12.1	23.4
2012	417	33.4	12.4	26.1
2013	438	33.5	13.0	23.5
2014	427	30.0	14.2	18.3
2015	408	29.0	14.0	22.3
2016	409	28.0	14.6	18.1
2017	405	28.1	14.4	24.4
2018	417	28.8	14.4	20.9
2019	432	28.2	15.2	20.6
2020	391	28.3	13.7	15.6
2021	387	28.3	13.6	19.1
2022	379	26.2	14.4	16.4
2023	378	27.2	13.8	14.6
2024	364	27.3	13.3	26.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southern Columbia High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$539 (3.8%)	$13,740 (96.2%)	$14,279
2020	$1,196 (8.1%)	$13,567 (91.9%)	$14,763
2021	$494 (3.2%)	$14,865 (96.8%)	$15,360
2022	$1,118 (7.1%)	$14,577 (92.9%)	$15,695

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Columbia High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 29^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 99^th of 674 High schools	10.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Southern Columbia High School)	91.3	63.9	27.4%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Southern Columbia High School)	89.3	62.1	27.2%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Southern Columbia High School)	89.3	76.9	12.4%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	432	378	12.5%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	7	10	42.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	415	355	14.5%
Two or More Races	5	6	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.6%	14.6%	6.1%

Schools Near Southern Columbia High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southern Columbia High School	Public	9-12	812 Southern Drive	Catawissa	17820	Columbia County	Southern Columbia Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 356-3450	364	27	13.3	26.4%	337 (92.6%)	4 (1.1%)	10 (2.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	50.9	382^nd of 686 public high schools	44.3%		81.9	99^th of 674 public high schools	85.3%	283	61.2	33.3	57.1	$15,695	$1,118	$14,577
North Central Secure Trmnt Unt	Public	7-12	210 Clinic Rd	Danville	17821	Montour County	North Central Secure Trmnt Unt	No	No	No	No	(570) 271-4710	36	11	3.4		8 (22.2%)	26 (72.2%)	2 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Danville Center Adolescent Female	Public	7-12	13 Kirkbride Drive	Danville	17821	Montour County	Danville Center Adolescent Female	No	No	No	No	(570) 271-4751	38	12	3.3		9 (23.7%)	22 (57.9%)	6 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Bloomsburg Area High School	Public	9-12	1200 Railroad St	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Bloomsburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-6100	389	28	14.0	42.2%	311 (79.9%)	14 (3.6%)	33 (8.5%)	10 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (4.9%)	61.7	276^th of 686 public high schools	59.8%		60.3	294^th of 674 public high schools	56.4%	18	37.0	52.4	74.1	$14,399	$232	$14,166
Danville Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	733 Ironmen Lane	Danville	17821	Montour County	Danville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 271-3268	645	46	14.0	30.1%	547 (84.8%)	18 (2.8%)	25 (3.9%)	33 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	70.5	203^rd of 686 public high schools	70.4%		96.5	8^th of 674 public high schools	98.8%	195	42.4	65.0	71.2	$12,604	$559	$12,045
Mount Carmel Area High School	Public	9-12	600 W 5th St	Mount Carmel	17851	Northumberland County	Mount Carmel Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 339-1500	493	27	18.3	100.6%	393 (79.7%)	18 (3.7%)	60 (12.2%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.4%)	30.3	509^th of 686 public high schools	25.8%		40.4	455^th of 674 public high schools	32.5%	54	33.9	29.8	50.4	$14,828	$1,068	$13,760
Northumberland County Career and Technology Center	Public	10-12	1700-2000 West Montgomery Stre	Coal Township	17866	Northumberland County	Northumberland County Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(570) 644-0304	19	9	2.1	84.2%	18 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Shamokin Area High School	Public	9-12	2000 W State St	Shamokin	17866	Northumberland County	Shamokin Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 648-5731	662	40	16.6	100.5%	549 (82.9%)	29 (4.4%)	60 (9.1%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.0%)	26.5	523^rd of 686 public high schools	23.8%		26.9	521^st of 674 public high schools	22.7%	2	28.5	29.6	49.3	$14,956	$1,408	$13,548
Central Columbia Senior High School	Public	9-12	4777 Old Berwick Rd	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Central Columbia School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-2833	606	47	12.8	28.7%	537 (88.6%)	8 (1.3%)	27 (4.5%)	16 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	86.6	66^th of 686 public high schools	90.4%		87.8	57^th of 674 public high schools	91.5%	9	63.1	75.0	77.8	$21,169	$1,080	$20,089
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School	Public	9-12	5050 Sweppenheiser Drive	Bloomsburg	17815	Columbia County	Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School	No	No	No	No	(570) 784-8040	617	47	13.2	52.4%	559 (90.6%)	12 (1.9%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.6%)	15.8	575^th of 686 public high schools	16.2%		56.9	324^th of 674 public high schools	51.9%	251	22.0	31.0	27.4

Southern Columbia High School

Southern Columbia High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Southern Columbia Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for all students at Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for Female students at Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for Male students at Southern Columbia High School

Rank History for White students at Southern Columbia High School

Enrollment information for Southern Columbia High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southern Columbia High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Southern Columbia High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southern Columbia High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Columbia High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Southern Columbia High School