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Middlesboro High School

Q: Is Middlesboro High School a good school?

Middlesboro High School ranks 65 th of 262 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

65^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 262 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 75% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Middlesboro High School is a public high school in Middlesboro, Kentucky, serving grades 9–12 with 337 students in Middlesboro Independent. Its latest results show strong graduation and test performance, but high chronic absenteeism is the most important concern: 39% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, 16 points above the state and 5 points above the district.

Writing is the school’s clearest academic strength: 76% of 11th graders were proficient, 29 points above the state and 1 point above the district. That result also topped nearby Bell County High School by 5 points and Knox Central High School by 39. Tenth-grade reading was another bright spot at 64%, 15 points above the state and 1 point above Bell County. Results were less consistent in 11th grade: science matched the district at 26% but trailed Bell County by 12 points, while social studies was 16 points behind Bell County. Editing and mechanics was the weakest area, at 39%—1 point below both the state and district, and 10 points behind Bell County.

Over time, 10th-grade math rose 16 points, reading rose 33, and 11th-grade writing rose 32 between 2022–2023 and 2025–2026; science and editing and mechanics have slipped in the most recent comparisons. SchoolDigger ranks the school at the 75th percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026, up from the 14th percentile in 2021–2022, though down from the 81st percentile the previous year. Its 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 11.8:1, below Knox Central’s 13.7:1 and Bell County’s 15.9:1. In 2024–2025, 75% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible. SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings also show distinct group results: the school ranked at the 92nd percentile for how well it serves low-socioeconomic-status students, compared with its overall 75th percentile; its ranking for male students climbed from the 33rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 87th in 2025–2026.

337

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,445

Per pupil spending ?

74.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

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: Improving — 57th percentile in 2016 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kentucky average (48% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 25% of Kentucky high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 24% Kentucky)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg47%

Kentucky avg39%

65^th of 262

Kentucky public high schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

91^st of 158Middlesboro 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
2026	68.3	65 of 262	75.2%	★★★★☆
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
2026	60.8	81 of 244	66.8%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	82.2	20 of 245	91.8%	★★★★★
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
2026	78.6	32 of 243	86.8%	★★★★☆
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
2026	47.4	45 of 87	48.3%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	66.1	70 of 253	72.3%	★★★★☆
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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)92nd percentile+17 vs school

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

Male (2026)87th percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)72nd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile-8 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile+39 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)48th percentile-27 vs school

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

By subject vs Kentucky (2025-2026) ?

Writing76%+29 vs state

Reading64%+15 vs state

Mathematics44%+4 vs state

Social Studies39%~ state avg

Editing and Mechanics39%~ state avg

Science26%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Middlesboro High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				KSA Mathematics (2026)				KSA Reading (2026)				KSA Science (2026)		KSA Writing (2026)		KSA Social Studies (2026)		KSA Editing and Mechanics (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Mathematics 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th Grade	KSA Science 7th Grade	KSA Science 11th Grade	KSA Writing 8th Grade	KSA Writing 11th Grade	KSA Social Studies 8th Grade	KSA Social Studies 11th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 8th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/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%)	68.3	65^th of 262 public high schools	75.2%		72.9	47^th of 254 public high schools	81.5%	18				44.0				64.0		26.0		76.0		39.0		39.0	$23,445	$4,863	$17,054
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)																	$10,450	$1,437	$7,645
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)																	$41,025	$13,765	$25,892
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%)	79.7	33^rd of 262 public high schools	87.4%		81.6	29^th of 254 public high schools	88.6%	4				37.0				63.0		38.0		71.0		55.0		49.0	$51,993	$6,682	$32,249
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%)	34.5	174^th of 262 public high schools	33.6%		43	157^th of 254 public high schools	38.2%	17				38.0				52.0		16.0		37.0		27.0		31.0	$17,930	$2,595	$13,635
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)																	$14,850	$2,570	$11,220
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)																	$19,971	$1,135	$17,776
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

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

What district is Middlesboro High School in?

Middlesboro Independent

Is Middlesboro High School a good school?

Middlesboro High School ranks 65^th of 262 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Middlesboro High School?

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

Rate Middlesboro High School!

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Latest Kentucky data All new data »

2024–25 attendance dataNewNov 13, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataOct 15, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 KSA test scoresOct 15, 2026

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.