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Middlesboro High School

Q: Is Middlesboro High School a good school?

Middlesboro High School ranks 47 th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

47^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 254 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 81% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Middlesboro High School is a public high school serving 347 students in grades 9-12 in Middlesboro, Kentucky, which is part of the Middlesboro Independent School District. The school has shown fluctuating academic performance over the years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 47th to 232nd out of Kentucky high schools. However, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked 47th in the state and received a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating improved academic achievement.

Middlesboro High School has shown strong performance for female students, multi-racial students, and low socioeconomic status students, ranking in the top quartile of Kentucky high schools in these subgroups. However, the school struggles with the performance of male students and special education students, ranking in the bottom half or bottom quartile of Kentucky high schools in these subgroups. The school also maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 89% to 95.7%, and a low dropout rate, ranging from 0% to 1.5%. Despite these positive metrics, Middlesboro High School has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25% to 45.6%, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, Middlesboro High School performs better academically than the Middlesboro Alternative School and Middlesboro Group Home School, which are also part of the Middlesboro Independent School District. However, the school lags behind some schools in the neighboring Knox County School District, such as Knox Central High School, in several academic areas, including Mathematics, Science, and ACT performance.

337

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,965

Per pupil spending ?

74.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4404 Cumberland Ave
Middlesboro, KY 40965

(606) 242-8820

District: Middlesboro Independent

Feeder schools for Middlesboro High School:

Elementary:	Middlesboro Elementary School
Middle:	Middlesboro Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.2%

Two or more races:

11.3%

African American:

5.9%

See top rated Kentucky high schools

Compare Middlesboro High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 79th percentile in 2015 → 81st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kentucky average (47% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Kentucky high schools

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg44%

Kentucky avg39%

47^th of 254

Kentucky public high schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

86^th of 157Middlesboro Independent among Kentucky districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	72.9	47 of 254	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	45.3	151 of 290	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	174 of 276	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	13.9	232 of 271	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	216 of 267	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	61.4	93 of 285	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.7	191 of 271	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	63.7	100 of 287	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.6	123 of 288	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	73.0	62 of 295	79.0%	★★★★☆
2014	58.8	111 of 290	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.8	173 of 291	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.6	93 of 229	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	45.2	124 of 226	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.4	130 of 223	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	69.9	47 of 217	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	48.3	109 of 217	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	24.7	176 of 217	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2018	82.1	9 of 94	90.4%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	44.2	71 of 153	53.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	73.9	40 of 239	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	51.7	122 of 261	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.1	101 of 253	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	13.0	224 of 252	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	173 of 236	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.5	72 of 249	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	29.0	185 of 234	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	82.2	25 of 242	89.7%	★★★★★
2024	48.7	132 of 274	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.6	177 of 272	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.5	234 of 266	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	196 of 234	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.7	72 of 254	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	52.4	112 of 232	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	66.9	57 of 239	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	32.1	176 of 262	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.7	229 of 259	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	219 of 257	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.4	217 of 238	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	63.9	71 of 251	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	47.5	128 of 237	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	69.6	19 of 89	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	11 of 87	87.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2024	26.6	134 of 168	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.6	122 of 226	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	78 of 251	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.9	169 of 273	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	168 of 264	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	10.7	238 of 260	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	73.2	43 of 219	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	29.9	151 of 198	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2018)90th percentile+61 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)90th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)83rd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)79th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)76th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)69th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile+39 vs school

Special Education (2024)20th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Writing64%+19 vs state

Reading56%+9 vs state

Editing and Mechanics47%+6 vs state

Mathematics45%+4 vs state

Social Studies43%+5 vs state

Science29%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Middlesboro High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)	KSA Reading (2025)	KSA Science (2025)	KSA Writing (2025)	KSA Social Studies (2025)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 11th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Middlesboro High School	Public	9-12	4404 Cumberland Ave	Middlesboro	40965	Bell County	Middlesboro Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 242-8820	337	29	11.8	74.8%	260 (77.2%)	20 (5.9%)	10 (3.0%)	6 (1.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.3%)	72.9	47^th of 254 public high schools	81.5%		45.3	151^st of 290 public high schools	47.9%	104	45.0	56.0	29.0	64.0	43.0	47.0	$22,965	$4,176	$2,096	$6,275	$10,878	$3,311	$14,202
Middlesboro Alternative School	Public, Virtual	7-12	220 North 20th Street	Middlesboro	40965	Bell County	Middlesboro Independent	No	No	Yes	No	(606) 242-8816	31	1	31.0	83.9%	28 (90.3%)	2 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)								(n/a)
Middlesboro Group Home School	Public, Virtual	6-12	220 North 20th Street	Middlesboro	40965	Bell County	Middlesboro Independent	No	No	Yes	No	(606) 242-8800	2	1	2.0		1 (50.0%)	1 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Bell County High School	Public	9-12	9824 US Highway 25 E	Pineville	40977	Bell County	Bell County	No	No	No	No	(606) 337-7061	622	39	15.9	72.8%	614 (98.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	81.6	29^th of 254 public high schools	88.6%		81.1	27^th of 290 public high schools	90.7%	2	46.0	58.0	33.0	71.0	52.0	50.0	$32,706	$2,692	$33	$2,729	$20,928	$3,837	$24,765
Bell County Area Technology Center	Public	8-12	9828 US Hwy. 25-E	Pineville	40977	Bell County	Kentucky Technical System	No	No	No	No	(606) 337-3094	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Knox Central High School	Public	9-12	100 Panther Way	Barbourville	40906	Knox County	Knox County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 645-2843	720	52	13.7	74.6%	691 (96.0%)	7 (1.0%)	9 (1.3%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.1%)	43	157^th of 254 public high schools	38.2%		37.3	185^th of 290 public high schools	36.2%	28	46.0	45.0	15.0	40.0	37.0	37.0	$16,281	$2,596	$1,064	$3,660	$9,288	$3,333	$12,621
Knox Appalachian School	Public	5-12	1909 Ky Hwy 3439	Barbourville	40906	Knox County	Knox County	No	No	No	No	(606) 645-2842	32	3	10.6	90.6%	27 (84.4%)	1 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (12.5%)								(n/a)
Knox County Career and Technical Center	Public	9-12	210 Wall Street	Barbourville	40906	Knox County	Knox County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(606) 645-2856	0	8	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Knox County Learning Academy	Public	6-12	135 Wall St	Barbourville	40906	Knox County	Knox County	No	No	No	No	(606) 645-2848	52	8	6.4	88.5%	47 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)								(n/a)
Barbourville Learning Center	Public, Virtual	7-12	140 School Street	Barbourville	40906	Knox County	Barbourville Independent	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(606) 546-3120	2	1	2.0		2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Middlesboro High School

Is Middlesboro High School a good school?

Middlesboro High School ranks 47^th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Middlesboro High School in?

Middlesboro Independent

How many students attend Middlesboro High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 337 students attended Middlesboro High School.

What is the racial makeup of Middlesboro High School?

Students at Middlesboro High School are 77% White, 11% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Middlesboro High School?

Middlesboro High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Middlesboro Elementary School
Middle : Middlesboro Middle School

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Schools in Middlesboro, KY

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.