Columbus has long been a leader in education. The state’s first public school was opened here in 1821, and is still in operation today. The nation’s first public college for women, Mississippi University for Women

(MUW), was founded in Columbus in 1884. It now admits men, though women’s studies still have priority. MUW is among the top Southeastern universities to have had the most female graduates who’ve earned doctorates.

MUW consistently wins national accolades for its academic achievements. It ranked #1 among the best public regional liberal arts colleges in the South by U.S. News and World Report in its 11th annual America’s Best Colleges guide for 2000. For the fifth consecutive year, MUW ranked in the top five for “academic reputation” among Tier 1 in rankings of Southern liberal arts colleges. MUW also ranked in the Top 10 Southern regional liberal arts colleges for diversity. The average ACT score for entering freshmen is the highest in the state among public schools, and MUW is consistently awarded prestigious honors, such as the Clare Boothe Luce Professorship of Mathematics. This “little public ivy-league university” boasts 24 campus buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Located on the campus of MUW is the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, one of the nation’s four residential high schools for academically gifted students. Similar in scope and discipline to a college schedule, the students who win acceptance to MSMS must be qualified and mature, for they undergo rigorous training. Students graduate with more than 24 course units and are very well prepared for admission to major colleges. Room and board are at no cost to students.

Just twenty miles to the west of Columbus is Mississippi State University (MSU), the state’s principal research and service university where more than 800 faculty members teach and conduct research in ten colleges and schools. MSU is among the nation’s top 100 institutions in its external funding for research and development in science and engineering related fields.

Closer by, the Golden Triangle Campus of East Mississippi Community College is located in the center of the tri-county near the Golden Triangle Airport. It is recognized as a state leader in technical, vocational, and industrial training, and offers a two-year academic degree and a variety of other educational opportunities, including nine Vocational Certificate programs and 12 Technical Associate of Applied Science Degree programs. At EMCC, students receive hands-on training with the latest in state-of-the-art equipment in comfortable and modern facilities to prepare them for employment. The Golden Triangle campus also has a full academic curriculum, active since 1997. Students can now enroll in fully accredited, university transferable academic classes that can lead to a two-year Associate Arts Degree. Classes are offered day and evening year-round at both the Golden Triangle campus and the Columbus Air Force Base. EMCC’s Skill/Tech Center serves as a catalyst for training members of the college’s six county district workforce to perform efficiently in a high-tech, high performance workplace. The Adult Education Program (ABE) is the state’s largest and provides opportunities for adults to acquire the equivalency of a high school diploma. The ABE is offered throughout the college district and in area businesses and industries. As a leader in the field of industrial training, the Golden Triangle campus is home to the Center for Manufacturing Technology, the state’s first advanced technology training center. The “Center at EMCC” is as multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art training facility providing regional industries with requisite training to maintain a competitive workforce in the 21st century’s global economy. The Center at EMCC is industry-driven, industry governed, and dedicated to the enhancement of technology transfer services by assisting both new and existing industries in helping to improve productivity.

Columbus is justly proud of the Columbus City School District, which is known statewide for excellence in education. Approximately 60% of the professional staff of the district hold a master’s or a doctorate degree, or the designation of Specialist. The student-teacher ratio in the elementary schools is 18 to1 and 17 to1 in the secondary schools.

All schools in the Columbus Municipal School District are fully accredited by the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Enrichment courses are plentiful, including a program for the academically advantaged, as well as art, public school music, and physical education. Additionally, students have the option of participating in a subscription series provided by the Columbus Arts Council. The highly acclaimed Young People’s Artist Series offers four professional, live performances by touring companies each school year, as well as in-school residencies in various diciplines.

The Columbus City School District consists of nine elementary schools, two middle schools, one secondary school, a vocational center, a resource center and a central administrative office. The residenc e address of the parent or guardian determines which elementary school a student attends. Local schools or the central office will be pleased to provide information. Enrollment for the district is more than 6,000 in kindergarten through high school.

The Lowndes County School District serves three major metropolitan areas within the county – Caledonia, New Hope, and West Lowndes. Enrollment for Lowndes County Schools is more than 5,300 in kindergarten through high school.

Recently, New Hope High School was renovated at a cost of $4.5 million, which makes it one of the most innovative and progressive learning centers in the Southeast. Each of the three high schools has its own satellite dish for receiving a wide range of courses, as well as computer labs and other technologically advanced programs. Computers are also available to elementary schools, and so are such programs as “Writing to Read” by IBM.

Forty-one percent of the staff hold advanced degrees and all schools are fully accredited by the state. Advanced placement and honors classes are offered, as well as programs for the handicapped.

Columbus and Lowndes County residents have access to five private and parochial schools, all of which honor accreditation standards. Heritage Academy offers grades K – 12. Founded in 1964, Heritage Academy has a complete computer lab with new IBM computers available for students. The private school is pleased to report that 99% of its graduates enter colleges and universities throughout the country, and that a recent graduating class of 45 seniors had among the graduates five National Merit semifinalists.

Other private schools in the area and are Immanuel Center for Christian Education (pre-school through high school), Victory Christian Academy (pre-school through high school), Annunciation Catholic School (K-6),and Columbus Christian School (K-3).