Total enrollment
6,932
-372 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
Columbia County
Oregon · Public K-12
Columbia County sits inside Oregon and runs 23 public K-12 schools, enrolling about 6,932 students. St Helens SD 502 alone accounts for 2,856 of those students. By level, that breaks down as 11 elementary, 4 middle, and 6 high schools.
7-year change in Columbia County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
23
+1 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
78%
was 82%
% Hispanic
11%
was 9%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
23
5 districts
Enrollment
6,932
NCES CCD
Median income
$87,458
Above Oregon avg
Free/reduced lunch
62.2%
Below Oregon avg
Elementary
11
2,856 students
Middle
4
1,425 students
High
6
2,448 students
Combined / other
2
203 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
St Helens SD 502
2,856 students · 5 districts in Columbia County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Columbia County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
19.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.1%
civilian labor
Median age
43
20.3% under 18
Test scores in Columbia County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 17 schools ranked. Oregon state average: 43.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- St Helens Arthur Academy· 51.5%
- Otto Petersen Elementary School· 50.9%
- Scappoose Middle School· 50.5%
- Rainier Jr/Sr High School· 47.9%
- Grant Watts Elementary School· 42.4%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Scappoose High School· 21.2%
- Hudson Park Elementary School· 21.4%
- Vernonia High School· 23.3%
- St Helens Middle School· 24.2%
- Vernonia Elementary School· 28.6%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Helens High School | St Helens | High | 09-12 | 823 | · |
| Scappoose High School | Scappoose | High | 09-12 | 709 | · |
| St Helens Middle School | St Helens | Middle | 06-08 | 563 | · |
| McBride Elementary School | St Helens | Elementary | KG-05 | 452 | · |
| Lewis & Clark Elementary School | St Helens | Elementary | KG-05 | 426 | · |
| Hudson Park Elementary School | Rainier | Elementary | KG-06 | 423 | · |
| Otto Petersen Elementary School | Scappoose | Middle | 04-06 | 416 | · |
| Clatskanie Elementary School | Clatskanie | Elementary | KG-06 | 387 | · |
| Grant Watts Elementary School | Scappoose | Elementary | 01-03 | 382 | · |
| Rainier Jr/Sr High School | Rainier | High | 07-12 | 366 | · |
| Clatskanie Middle/High School | Clatskanie | High | 07-12 | 307 | · |
| Scappoose Middle School | Scappoose | Middle | 07-08 | 307 | · |
| Columbia City School | Columbia City | Elementary | KG-05 | 214 | · |
| Vernonia Elementary School | Vernonia | Elementary | KG-05 | 206 | · |
| Vernonia High School | Vernonia | High | 09-12 | 178 | · |
| St Helens Arthur Academy | St Helens | Elementary | KG-05 | 160 | · |
| St. Helens Virtual Academy | St Helens | Combined | KG-12 | 153 | · |
| Vernonia Middle School | Vernonia | Middle | 06-08 | 139 | · |
| Warren Elementary School | Warren | Elementary | KG-KG | 109 | · |
| South Columbia Family School | Warren | Elementary | KG-08 | 66 | · |
| Plymouth High School | St Helens | High | 09-12 | 65 | · |
| Scappoose Online Academy | Scappoose | Combined | KG-12 | 50 | · |
| Mist Elementary School | Mist | Elementary | KG-05 | 31 | · |
Cities in Columbia County
About Columbia County
Columbia County is a compact county of about 53,493 residents in Oregon. Its public-school system hosts approximately 6,932 students across 23 schools.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $87,458, 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 6%. That income level is 21% meaningfully above the Oregon median.
In terms of grade levels, Columbia County consists of 11 elementary schools (2,856 students), 4 middle schools (1,425), 6 high schools (2,448), and 2 combined or other schools.
St Helens SD 502 dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 2,856 students on its own.
Looking at the last 7 years. Total public-school enrollment in Columbia County has decreased 5% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 7,304 students to 6,932. Columbia County now counts 23 public schools, up from 22 in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 82% to 78% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Columbia County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Columbia County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data