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Nicholas County High School

Q: Is Nicholas County High School a good school?

Nicholas County High School ranks 169 th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

169^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 254 Kentucky High Schools

Better than 33% of Kentucky high schools

Summary

Nicholas County High School is a public high school located in Carlisle, Kentucky, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 446 students. The school is part of the Nicholas County School District, which is ranked 142 out of 157 districts in Kentucky and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Nicholas County High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kentucky high schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 136-193 out of 271-290 schools. Its performance on state assessments (KSA) is also below the state average, with proficiency rates ranging from 24-59% across different subject areas and grade levels, compared to the state averages of 38-49%. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 84.4% and 93.5% over the past few years, which is generally on par with or slightly below the state average. Additionally, Nicholas County High School has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25% to 38.4% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Bath County High School, Fleming County High School, and Harrison County High School, Nicholas County High School generally performs at a similar or slightly lower level in terms of academic achievement, graduation rates, and other key metrics. The high chronic absenteeism rate and the relatively low academic performance of the school, particularly in comparison to the state average, suggest that Nicholas County High School may face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students.

435

Students ?

18.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$33,933

Per pupil spending ?

57.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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 — 68th percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kentucky average (36% vs 44% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (34% vs 25% Kentucky)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg36%

Kentucky avg44%

Middle school

244^th of 320

Kentucky public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 39% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

169^th of 254

Kentucky public high schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 35 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

142^nd of 157Nicholas 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
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
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
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
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

Homeless (2025)29th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)28th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)27th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)18th percentile-6 vs school

High school

Homeless (2025)52nd percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile+17 vs school

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

Male (2025)35th percentile~ school

White (2025)30th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Writing44%-3 vs state

Editing and Mechanics44%~ state avg

Mathematics35%-6 vs state

Reading31%-14 vs state

Social Studies27%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nicholas 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 7th Grade	KSA Mathematics 8th Grade	KSA Mathematics 10th Grade	KSA Reading 7th Grade	KSA Reading 8th Grade	KSA Reading 10th 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	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
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%)	39	169^th of 254 public high schools	33.5%		44.1	154^th of 290 public high schools	46.9%	15	29.0	41.0	35.0	28.0	37.0	29.0		29.0	59.0	24.0	30.0	53.0	35.0	$33,933	$3,212	$747	$3,959	$15,610	$2,262	$24,220
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%)	11.2	231^st of 254 public high schools	9.1%		14.9	238^th of 290 public high schools	17.9%	7			23.0			28.0			31.0		22.0		18.0	$24,178	$797	$482	$1,279	$10,926	$4,701	$15,629
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%)	33.1	182^nd of 254 public high schools	28.3%		34.5	189^th of 290 public high schools	34.8%	7			40.0			44.0	16.0		34.0		31.0		32.0	$19,120	$187	$212	$399	$8,532	$3,234	$11,766
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%)	44.9	147^th of 254 public high schools	42.1%		39.5	178^th of 290 public high schools	38.6%	31			35.0			51.0	14.0		43.0		38.0		42.0	$17,404	$1,469	$430	$1,899	$9,437	$2,385	$11,823
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%)	50.1	123^rd of 254 public high schools	51.6%		33.7	193^rd of 290 public high schools	33.4%	70			40.0			45.0	21.0		52.0		38.0		38.0	$15,629	$1,713	$1,917	$3,629	$7,476	$4,523	$12,000
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)
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%)	50.5	121^st of 254 public high schools	52.4%		51.4	132^nd of 290 public high schools	54.5%	11			41.0			48.0	21.0		36.0		43.0		44.0	$31,228	$770	$450	$1,221	$8,675	$2,897	$11,572
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)

Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholas County High School

What schools feed into Nicholas County High School?

Nicholas County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Nicholas County Elementary 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 169^th of 254 Kentucky high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Nicholas County High School?

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

What district is Nicholas County High School in?

Nicholas County

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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.