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Education & Libraries

Traditional wisdom tells us “knowledge is power.” In Columbia, we’re committed to empowering our residents – students and “the rest of us” – with knowledge as deep, broad and rich as possible.

Our public school district – Richland One – is the seventh largest in the state, with more than 23,000 students representing 41 countries and as many languages. Spread over more than 482 square miles, our 50 elementary, middle and high schools and centers serve urban, suburban and rural communities in the greater Columbia area.

With five major universities and colleges, we offer higher education opportunities that are the envy of many larger cities in the country. The academic quality of these Columbia area institutions is evident in the impressive number of outstanding students, educators and researchers we attract year after year from around the world.

And finally, our public library is also widely recognized as superb – a true model of 21st-century education and information resources.