High School Placement

We're proud to share our high school placement (HSP) program with our scholars and families. We believe in preparing our scholars and families for when they graduate from 8th grade and enter high school. Our HSP programs do just that—we educate families on high school options across Columbus and guide them through the enrollment and application process.

There are many high schools out there! We believe in providing our scholars and families with the information they need to make the best decisions for their future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What kinds of schools can my student attend?

A: There are 4 types of schools we introduce to our scholars: public charter schools, public schools, private religious schools, private independent schools.

Public Charter Schools
Open to all students and are tuition-free
Same testing requirements as public schools
Greater flexibility in their curriculum and operations
Enrollment process such as a campus visit, application, and/or an interview
Smaller than typical district high schools
May not be able to provide as many services and extracurricular activities

Public Schools
Open to all students within the district and are tuition-free
Subject to state testing requirements
Wide variety of services and extracurricular opportunities
Larger student populations
May need to enroll in a lottery for higher achieving schools in the district

Private Religious Schools
Schools with a religious affiliation
Smaller school settings
Required religious courses or chapel attendance
Admissions policies requiring entrance exams, interviews, and applications
Tuition and fees each year
Scholarships may be available

Private Independent Schools
Smaller classes and smaller school settings
Strong academic and extracurricular programs
Admissions policies requiring entrance exams, interviews, and applications
Tuition and fees each year
Scholarships may be available

Q: My student is zoned for Columbus City School District. How do I find my student’s CCSD home high school?

A: Columbus City Schools has 20 high schools in the district. Students within the district are placed at a high school determined by their home address. To find your scholar’s home school, click HERE and enter your address in the search bar.

Q: What’s Columbus City School District school choice? How do I apply to a CCSD lottery school?

A: Several of our families prefer to not send their scholar to their home school. School choice provides an option for families to send their scholar to another high school within CCSD.

To learn about the types of school choice applications, click HERE. The most common school choice application that families complete is the School Choice Lottery. This application is for a select group of schools that only enroll students through the lottery. School Choice High Schools are…

  • Columbus Africentric Early College K-12

  • Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS)

  • Columbus Downtown High School/Career Center

  • Columbus Global Academy 6-12)

  • Fort Hayes Career Center

  • Columbus Gifted Academy

  • Eastmoor Academy

  • Columbus International High School

  • Columbus Scioto 6-12

HERE are instructions for completing the lottery application.

Q: What are EdChoice scholarships? How do I know if I qualify? How do I apply?

A: The Educational Choice Scholarship (EdChoice) Program provides students from designated public schools the opportunity to attend participating private schools. The program also provides low-income students who are entering kindergarten through 12th grade scholarship opportunities. The EdChoice scholarship amount is currently $5,500 for grades K-8 and $7,500 for grades 9-12. EdChoice will pay either the scholarship amount or the private school's actual tuition amount, whichever is less.

Click HERE to determine if your scholar qualifies for a scholarship.
Click HERE for a list of EdChoice Scholarship resources to help with the application process.
Click HERE for steps to apply.

Q: What high schools do you recommend?

A: We recognize that scholars and families need a variety of options to select the best high school for them! Each year, we provide a short list of high schools with information that to help narrow down the search. We include information most important to scholars, like…

  • District - What district the school is located in? Does the school have open enrollment?

  • Type - Is the school a Public Charter School, Traditional Public School, Private Religious School, or Private Independent School?

  • Location - Where is the school located in Columbus? Is it located on the North, West, South, or East side?

  • Differentiator - What makes the school unique for students’ interests?

  • Cost - Does the school require tuition?

  • Scholarships - If the school requires tuition, is there tuition assistance or scholarships available to help cover the cost?

  • Serves IEP/504 - Does the school provide support to students on an IEP/504? Please note, some schools may not provide services depending on the specific need of the student (see may serve students with an IEP/504).

  • College Credit Plus - Can a student earn college credit through College Credit Plus while attending the school?

  • Honors/AP Courses - Do the school provide Honors courses or AP courses for students to take?

  • Transportation - Does that school provide transportation? Please note, most schools provide transportation; however, please click on the link to learn the process of getting transportation for your student.

  • Athletics - Does the school have athletic sports teams? Please note, some schools do not have athletic teams; however, students can participate in sports at their home school while attending a different school.

  • Uniforms - Are students required to wear a uniform to school?

Q: How do I use this information to find the right high school for me?

A: Finding the right high school can be an overwhelming process. To help with the selection process, we have created a High School Placement Guide. This list references many high schools in Columbus. There is also descriptive information about each school to narrow your search.

Use this worksheet to narrow down what’s most important to you when selecting a high school!

Top Questions to Consider

  • What location does the school need to be? (Here’s a pinned map for your reference!)

  • Does the school need to serve students with an IEP or 504?

  • Does the school provide transportation?

  • Is there special programming that my scholar is interested in?

To answer these questions and more, make a copy of the High School Placement Guide and filter according to your preferences.