The Academy for Urban Scholars

The Academy for Urban Scholars is a high school of compact scale in Columbus, Ohio, operated by The Academy for Urban Scholars, instructing 386 students in grades 9 through 12. That puts it 32% smaller than the typical public school in Ohio, which averages around 565 students.

Operationally, The Academy for Urban Scholars answers to The Academy for Urban Scholars, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

For racial and ethnic makeup, The Academy for Urban Scholars lists that nearly all students (90%) are Black; the rest breaks down as 5% multiracial, 3% White, 2% Hispanic. By comparison, Franklin County as a whole is about 23% Black, so the school skews noticeably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, The Academy for Urban Scholars has 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 27.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.7:1, putting The Academy for Urban Scholars higher than the state norm the norm.

In the broader community, Franklin County reports that median household earnings sit near $75,176, 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. The Academy for Urban Scholars is one of 402 public schools in Franklin County (combined enrollment of about 195,359 students).

The closest other public school is East High School, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area. The Academy for Urban Scholars operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at The Academy for Urban Scholars has grew 33%, going from 291 students in 2018 to 386 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 41.6:1 in 2018 to 27.6:1 today.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.