Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Nelson County High School

Q: Is Nelson County High School a good school?

Nelson County High School ranks 170 th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

170^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 254 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 33% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Nelson County High School is a public high school located in Bardstown, Kentucky, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 783 students. The school is part of the Nelson County School District, which is ranked 135 out of 157 districts in the state.

Nelson County High School has consistently underperformed compared to the state average on standardized tests, with lower proficiency rates in subjects like Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Social Studies. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 10th-grade Mathematics proficiency rate was 38%, compared to the state average of 41%. The school's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 89th out of 285 high schools in 2018-2019 to 170th out of 254 high schools in 2024-2025. However, the school has maintained relatively high graduation rates, with a 4-year graduation rate of 93.5% in the 2024-2025 school year, despite a higher dropout rate than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Bullitt East High School has outperformed Nelson County High School on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and a higher statewide ranking. However, Thomas Nelson High School, another school in the same district, has similar academic performance and socioeconomic characteristics to Nelson County High School. The school's relatively strong performance in serving its special education population is a positive aspect, but the district should continue to prioritize providing the necessary resources and support to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed.

756

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,983

Per pupil spending ?

51.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1070 Bloomfield Rd
Bardstown, KY 40004

(502) 349-7010

District: Nelson County

Feeder schools for Nelson County High School:

Elementary:	Bloomfield Elementary School
	Foster Heights Elementary School
Middle:	Bloomfield Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.6%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

3.2%

See top rated Kentucky high schools

Compare Nelson County High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Kentucky average (94%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg37%

Kentucky avg42%

170^th of 254

Kentucky public high schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 41 pts since 2015

From top 26% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Nelson County

135^th of 157Nelson County 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	38.8	170 of 254	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.4	190 of 290	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.5	196 of 276	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	192 of 271	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	192 of 267	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.2	89 of 285	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	80 of 271	70.5%	★★★★☆
2017	48.8	177 of 287	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	64.5	91 of 288	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.1	76 of 295	74.2%	★★★★☆
2014	51.7	151 of 290	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	57.6	112 of 291	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	40.8	136 of 229	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.5	143 of 226	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	29.9	171 of 223	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.7	158 of 217	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	28.1	171 of 217	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	37.0	141 of 217	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2022	45.2	68 of 153	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	12.6	164 of 166	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.0	155 of 166	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	46.1	140 of 239	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	190 of 261	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	202 of 253	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.5	195 of 252	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.1	157 of 236	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	63 of 249	74.7%	★★★★☆
2018	49.5	125 of 234	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	11.3	109 of 115	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	168 of 242	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.7	205 of 274	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	226 of 272	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.8	146 of 266	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.4	153 of 234	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.0	87 of 254	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	102 of 232	56.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	30.1	181 of 239	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	175 of 262	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	164 of 259	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	171 of 257	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.9	182 of 238	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.4	101 of 251	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.1	80 of 237	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	41.0	43 of 86	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.1	72 of 168	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.4	33 of 162	79.6%	★★★★☆
2019	65.7	67 of 226	70.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	180 of 251	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	202 of 273	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	212 of 264	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	209 of 260	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.8	171 of 203	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.7	81 of 219	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.8	92 of 198	53.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)56th percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2025)50th percentile+17 vs school

Female (2025)41st percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile~ school

White (2025)28th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)24th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)5th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Reading45%~ state avg

Writing40%-5 vs state

Mathematics38%-3 vs state

Editing and Mechanics34%-7 vs state

Social Studies32%-6 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

Rate Nelson County High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, September 19, 2015

Kids are bullied and they do nothing about it, also teachurs could be a little more caring and not give a 10 minute introduction on a new subject and expect them to learn it in 2 days because there will be a test.. Close Quote

Schools Near Nelson County 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 8th 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
Nelson County High School	Public	9-12	1070 Bloomfield Rd	Bardstown	40004	Nelson County	Nelson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 349-7010	756	47	16.1	51.9%	670 (88.6%)	14 (1.9%)	42 (5.6%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.2%)	38.8	170^th of 254 public high schools	33.1%		34.4	190^th of 290 public high schools	34.5%	20	38.0	45.0		40.0	32.0		34.0	$15,983	$1,059	$323	$1,383	$9,430	$3,324	$12,754
The Up Center	Public	6-12	1060 Bloomfield Rd.	Bardstown	40004	Nelson County	Nelson County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(502) 348-9096	0	7	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Heartland Youth Village	Public, Virtual	6-12	1013 Granite Drive	Bardstown	40004	Nelson County	Nelson County	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(502) 849-3440	15	2	7.5	20.0%	13 (86.7%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)								(n/a)						30.0
Bardstown High School	Public	9-12	400 N 5th St	Bardstown	40004	Nelson County	Bardstown Independent	No	No	No	No	(502) 331-8802	703	39	18.1	47.4%	458 (65.1%)	84 (11.9%)	64 (9.1%)	18 (2.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (10.8%)	57.1	92^nd of 254 public high schools	63.8%		63.4	91^st of 290 public high schools	68.6%	1	40.0	42.0	22.0	57.0	43.0		45.0	$20,776	$183	$191	$375	$11,465	$2,726	$14,192
Thomas Nelson High School	Public	9-12	150 Generals Blvd	Bardstown	40004	Nelson County	Nelson County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 349-4650	629	33	19.3	43.9%	591 (94.0%)	8 (1.3%)	18 (2.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.6%)	42.1	162^nd of 254 public high schools	36.2%		39	179^th of 290 public high schools	38.3%	17	36.0	47.0	26.0	31.0	31.0		40.0	$16,340	$1,174	$240	$1,415	$9,521	$3,322	$12,849
Washington County High School	Public	9-12	300 West US 150 Bypass	Springfield	40069	Washington County	Washington County	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 336-5475	507	29	17.2	51.1%	422 (83.2%)	28 (5.5%)	38 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.6%)	56.1	96^th of 254 public high schools	62.2%		73.1	60^th of 290 public high schools	79.3%	36	38.0	43.0	23.0	59.0	42.0		42.0	$14,000	$540	$260	$800	$10,559	$2,641	$13,200
Commander Academy	Public, Virtual	7-12	520 Lincoln Park Road	Springfield	40069	Washington County	Washington County	No	No	Yes	No	(859) 336-2116	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
WC Tel Center	Public	9-12	520 Lincoln Park Road	Springfield	40069	Washington County	Washington County	No	No	No	No	(859) 336-2116	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Spencer County High School	Public	9-12	520 Taylorsville Rd	Taylorsville	40071	Spencer County	Spencer County	No	No	No	Yes	(502) 477-3255	986	53	18.7	37.7%	877 (88.9%)	17 (1.7%)	52 (5.3%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.3%)	67.2	56^th of 254 public high schools	78.0%		68.2	77^th of 290 public high schools	73.4%	21	53.0	58.0		51.0	38.0		43.0	$12,133	$674	$226	$870	$8,468	$2,794	$11,263
Spring Meadows	Public	5-12	310 Hope St	Mount Washington	40047	Bullitt County	Bullitt County	No	No	No	No	(502) 538-1200	12	2	6.0	25.0%	9 (75.0%)	2 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson County High School

How many students attend Nelson County High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 756 students attended Nelson County High School.

What schools feed into Nelson County High School?

Nelson County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bloomfield Elementary School
Elementary : Foster Heights Elementary School
Middle : Bloomfield Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Nelson County High School?

Students at Nelson County High School are 89% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is Nelson County High School in?

Nelson County

Is Nelson County High School a good school?

Nelson County High School ranks 170^th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Nelson County High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

KYKentucky High School Rankings

KYKentucky District Rankings

Schools in Bardstown, KY

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Nelson County High School!

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.