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Nicholas County High School

Q: Is Nicholas County High School a good school?

Nicholas County High School ranks 189 th of 262 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

189^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 262 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 28% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Nicholas County High School is a public school in Carlisle, Kentucky, serving 435 students in grades 7–12. Its results show a sharp split: 11th-grade writing is a strength, but eighth-grade performance is far below state levels in nearly every reported subject. The most important concern is eighth grade, where scores in reading, writing, and social studies trail the state by 20 points or more.

Writing is the school’s clearest advantage over nearby high schools: its 11th-grade score was 50%, above the 47% state result and equal to Bath County High School; the reported nearby-school average was 40%. In contrast, eighth-grade reading was 19% versus 40% statewide, and writing was 25% versus 48%. Tenth-grade math and reading were also below the averages for nearby conventional high schools with reported scores. The school’s reported test results match those of the Nicholas County district, so the district scores offer no different result or score advantage.

Results have weakened in many tested subjects over time: from 2023–2024 to 2025–2026, eighth-grade reading fell 20 points, and seventh-grade reading fell 14. At the same time, graduation rose 9 points to 93%, and chronic absenteeism dropped 17 points to 25%, just above the state’s 24%. SchoolDigger ranks the school 189th of 262 Kentucky schools, in the 28th percentile with 1 star; its overall percentile has fallen 19 points in two years. The 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 18.1, above the 17.1 average among nearby conventional high schools, while 57% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible. SchoolDigger’s statewide effectiveness ranking places Low Socio Economic Status Students in the 38th percentile, above the school’s overall 28th, but that group’s ranking fell 39 points over two years.

435

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,603

Per pupil spending ?

57.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

103 School Dr
Carlisle, KY 40311

(859) 289-3780

District: Nicholas County

Feeder schools for Nicholas County High School:

Elementary:

Nicholas County Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.1%

Hispanic:

6.0%

African American:

0.5%

See top rated Kentucky high schools

Compare Nicholas County High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (29% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 48 percentile points since 2016

!Social Studies scores 18 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg29%

Kentucky avg40%

Middle school

286^th of 326

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 45 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

189^th of 262

Kentucky public high schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 48 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

151^st of 158Nicholas 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	17.1	286 of 326	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	244 of 320	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.2	163 of 324	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.0	176 of 327	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	161 of 320	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	155 of 282	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	207 of 335	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	180 of 322	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	56.9	135 of 330	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.3	142 of 331	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	43.0	207 of 337	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.4	217 of 335	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.4	208 of 335	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	28.0	261 of 319	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.2	271 of 304	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	38.6	122 of 226	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	17.8	216 of 219	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	19.4	256 of 299	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	217 of 298	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.7	131 of 300	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.0	174 of 295	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	149 of 299	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.0	177 of 233	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.9	166 of 299	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	230 of 290	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	52.0	40 of 62	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	3.5	62 of 63	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	17 of 19	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.2	17 of 24	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.6	19 of 28	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.0	20 of 21	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	43.4	13 of 22	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.6	14 of 58	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	42.6	18 of 32	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	281 of 313	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.0	225 of 314	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	55.3	117 of 311	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.1	149 of 309	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.1	141 of 310	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.3	60 of 224	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	41.0	187 of 303	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	181 of 285	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	15.6	273 of 299	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.8	248 of 303	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.0	186 of 304	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.6	174 of 307	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.9	155 of 304	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.0	220 of 303	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.1	123 of 293	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	42.1	181 of 294	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	13.8	279 of 316	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.0	244 of 314	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.7	178 of 316	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.9	201 of 320	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.9	159 of 314	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.8	141 of 213	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.3	211 of 266	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	204 of 253	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	30.3	189 of 262	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.0	169 of 254	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	154 of 290	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.5	184 of 276	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.2	185 of 271	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.3	148 of 267	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	166 of 285	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.0	136 of 271	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.1	97 of 287	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.6	70 of 288	75.7%	★★★★☆
2015	64.2	94 of 295	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	39.1	191 of 290	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.1	194 of 291	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	19.3	210 of 229	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	23.1	195 of 226	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.3	203 of 223	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	23.0	186 of 217	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	15.5	200 of 217	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	16.6	198 of 217	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	183 of 244	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.4	117 of 239	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.4	189 of 261	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	193 of 253	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.9	177 of 252	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	169 of 236	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	176 of 249	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	75.0	48 of 234	79.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	10 of 18	44.4%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	15 of 22	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.5	10 of 21	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.8	5 of 30	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	36.4	24 of 37	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	22 of 32	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.7	17 of 26	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	16 of 33	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	16.9	23 of 25	8.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	153 of 245	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	119 of 242	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	64 of 274	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	48.8	128 of 272	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.5	158 of 266	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.6	145 of 234	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	119 of 254	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.6	110 of 232	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	159 of 243	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	155 of 239	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.8	80 of 262	69.5%	★★★★☆
2023	34.5	167 of 259	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.8	198 of 257	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	53.4	75 of 238	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	136 of 251	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.1	199 of 237	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2019	48.2	118 of 226	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2026	25.0	196 of 253	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.6	176 of 251	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.4	178 of 273	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.7	210 of 264	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.1	195 of 260	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	141 of 219	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.5	130 of 198	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Disabled (2019)46th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2019)38th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2019)35th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)14th percentile~ school

White (2026)12th percentile~ school

Homeless (2026)11th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)10th percentile~ school

Male (2026)9th percentile-4 vs school

High school

Special Education (2019)48th percentile+6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)44th percentile+17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)35th percentile+7 vs school

Homeless (2026)32nd percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)25th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2025-2026) ?

Writing38%-10 vs state

Editing and Mechanics37%-4 vs state

Reading30%-16 vs state

Mathematics28%-11 vs state

Social Studies20%-18 vs state

Science18%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nicholas County 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
Nicholas County High School	Public	7-12	103 School Dr	Carlisle	40311	Nicholas County	Nicholas County	No	No	No	No	(859) 289-3780	435	24	18.1	57.2%	405 (93.1%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	30.3	189^th of 262 public high schools	27.9%		39	169^th of 254 public high schools	33.5%	20		28.0	28.0	29.0		34.0	19.0	37.0	18.0		25.0	50.0	19.0	22.0	40.0	34.0	$18,603	$1,492	$10,979
Paris High School	Public	9-12	308 W 7th St	Paris	40361	Bourbon County	Paris Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(859) 987-2168	267	15	17.5	79.4%	124 (46.4%)	59 (22.1%)	48 (18.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (13.1%)	15.8	223^rd of 262 public high schools	14.9%		11.2	231^st of 254 public high schools	9.1%	8				32.0				39.0		9.0		26.0		11.0		26.0	$28,449	$983	$14,983
Harrison County Learning Center	Public	6-12	320 Webster Ave	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	No	(859) 234-2395	24	3	6.9	83.3%	22 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Harrison County High School	Public	9-12	320 Webster Ave	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Harrison County	No	No	No	No	(859) 234-7117	881	45	19.3	46.8%	787 (89.3%)	4 (0.5%)	53 (6.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.7%)	33.4	178^th of 262 public high schools	32.1%		33.1	182^nd of 254 public high schools	28.3%	4				32.0				48.0		16.0		34.0		32.0		36.0	$34,247	$232	$11,718
Harrison County Area Technology Center	Public	8-12	327 Webster Ave.	Cynthiana	41031	Harrison County	Kentucky Technical System	No	No	No	No	(859) 234-5286	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bourbon County High School	Public	9-12	3341 Lexington Road	Paris	40361	Bourbon County	Bourbon County	No	No	No	No	(859) 987-2185	764	46	16.6	57.9%	551 (72.1%)	22 (2.9%)	163 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.7%)	29.2	192^nd of 262 public high schools	26.7%		44.9	147^th of 254 public high schools	42.1%	45				28.0				40.0		14.0		36.0		31.0		39.0	$15,507	$778	$14,729
Fleming County High School	Public	9-12	1658 Elizaville Rd	Flemingsburg	41041	Fleming County	Fleming County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 845-6601	671	41	16.5	52.9%	619 (92.3%)	3 (0.4%)	30 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.8%)	42.1	151^st of 262 public high schools	42.4%		50.1	123^rd of 254 public high schools	51.6%	28				36.0				48.0				55.0		28.0		30.0	$18,387	$1,198	$17,189
Gateway Children's Services	Public	5-12	37 North Maysville	Mount Sterling	40353	Montgomery County	Montgomery County	No	No	No	No	(859) 497-6428	17	1	13.6	17.6%	13 (76.5%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.8%)								(n/a)																	$15,249	$2,079	$11,248
Bath County High School	Public	9-12	645 Chenault Dr	Owingsville	40360	Bath County	Bath County	No	No	No	Yes	(606) 674-6325	604	39	15.4	73.2%	549 (90.9%)	8 (1.3%)	32 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	63.5	82^nd of 262 public high schools	68.7%		50.5	121^st of 254 public high schools	52.4%	39				43.0				56.0		32.0		50.0		37.0		45.0	$24,481	$634	$13,172
Second Chance Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	335 West Main Street	Owingsville	40360	Bath County	Bath County	No	No	Yes	No	(606) 674-8165	9	2	4.5	77.8%	7 (77.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)								(n/a)																	$13,380	$430	$11,532

Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholas County High School

How many students attend Nicholas County High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Nicholas County High School.

Is Nicholas County High School a good school?

Nicholas County High School ranks 189^th of 262 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Nicholas County High School in?

Nicholas County

What schools feed into Nicholas County High School?

Nicholas County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Nicholas County Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Nicholas County High School?

Students at Nicholas County High School are 93% White, 6% Hispanic.

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Latest Kentucky data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 15, 2026

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

2025–26 KSA test scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 KSA test scoresOct 30, 2025

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.