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New Hope High School

Q: Is New Hope High School a good school?

New Hope High School ranks 77 th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

77^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 224 Mississippi High Schools

Better than 66% of Mississippi high schools

Summary

New Hope High School is a comprehensive public high school in Columbus, Mississippi, serving 787 students in grades 9–12, and is the second-largest school in the Lowndes County School District. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks 77th out of 224 Mississippi high schools, placing it in the upper third of the state. With 61.6% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income population — yet it achieves a graduation rate of 93.2%, the highest among the area's three comprehensive high schools and above both the district (91.9%) and state (89.2%) averages.

Academically, New Hope has clear strengths and weaknesses. Biology is a standout, with 75.4% proficiency in 2025–2026 — well above the state average of 63.1% and even higher than Caledonia High School's 73.9%. New Hope also edged out Caledonia High School in Algebra I (67.3% vs. 64.2%). However, U.S. History is a persistent weakness, with just 49.5% of students proficient versus 69.7% statewide, and English II proficiency (50.5%) trails Caledonia High School's 69.2% significantly.

The school's biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism at 30.9% — much higher than the district (20.0%) and state (23.9%) averages. Despite this, the graduation rate remains strong, suggesting effective support systems. For parents, New Hope offers a solid academic alternative to nearby Columbus High School and West Lowndes High School, which serve higher-poverty populations and post far lower test scores. Compared to Caledonia High School in the same district, New Hope serves more low-income students yet competes favorably in math and science. Future improvement will depend on reducing absenteeism and closing the U.S. History gap.

787

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,236

Per pupil spending ?

61.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2920 New Hope Road
Columbus, MS 39702

(662) 244-4701

District: Lowndes County School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.1%

African American:

45.4%

Two or more races:

2.4%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 58th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓93% graduate in 4 years — above the Mississippi average (89%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Mississippi median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 24% Mississippi)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg68%

Mississippi avg60%

77^th of 224

Mississippi public high schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Mississippi High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Lowndes County School District

53^rd of 134Lowndes County School District among Mississippi 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	Mississippi percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	77 of 224	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.3	73 of 232	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.4	128 of 228	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.8	106 of 226	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.9	102 of 228	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	137 of 231	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.6	74 of 233	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.4	138 of 233	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.2	122 of 237	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.9	97 of 231	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.4	90 of 226	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	41.5	141 of 236	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.1	121 of 238	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.3	143 of 241	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	23.5	205 of 244	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	45.4	138 of 235	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.6	122 of 235	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.2	150 of 235	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.8	130 of 232	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	59.7	104 of 232	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.3	89 of 232	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	62.1	90 of 232	61.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Mississippi (2025-2026) ?

Biology75%+12 vs state

Algebra I67%~ state avg

English II50%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near New Hope 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)				MAAP English Language Arts (2026)		MAAP Mathematics (2026)		MAAP Algebra I (2026)	MAAP English II (2026)	MAAP Science (2026)	MAAP Biology (2026)	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 (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	MAAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAAP Algebra I End of Course	MAAP English II End of Course	MAAP Science 8th Grade	MAAP Biology End of Course	Total
New Hope High School	Public	9-12	2920 New Hope Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-4701	787	61	12.8	61.6%	394 (50.1%)	357 (45.4%)	10 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	19 (2.4%)	64.5	77^th of 224 public high schools	65.6%		70.3	73^rd of 232 public high schools	68.5%	4					67.3	50.5		75.4	$12,236
McKellar Vocational Center	Public	9-12	810 N Browder Street	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7290	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Columbus High School	Public	9-12	215 Hemlock St	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Columbus Municipal School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 241-7200	865	74	11.6	99.8%	18 (2.1%)	813 (94.0%)	23 (2.7%)	7 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	10.8	208^th of 224 public high schools	7.1%		6.2	222^nd of 232 public high schools	4.3%	14					31.1	23.0		47.1	$13,613
Lowndes County Vocational Complex	Public	9-12	1085 Lehmberg Road	Columbus	39702	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5038	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mississippi School For Math And Science	Public, Magnet	11-12	5th Ave South and MSCW Dr	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science	No	Yes	No	No	(662) 329-7672	240	26	9.2		131 (54.6%)	39 (16.3%)	13 (5.4%)	48 (20.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)
West Lowndes High School	Public	7-12	644 South Frontage Road	Columbus	39701	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(662) 244-5070	206	27	7.6	98.5%	6 (2.9%)	196 (95.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	16.8	192^nd of 224 public high schools	14.3%		28.8	159^th of 232 public high schools	31.5%	33	16.2	25.8	37.8	38.8	46.5	23.5	25.9	51.8	$20,230
Caledonia High School	Public	9-12	111 Confederate Drive	Caledonia	39740	Lowndes County	Lowndes County School District	No	No	No	No	(662) 356-2001	640	51	12.6	42.3%	462 (72.2%)	104 (16.3%)	37 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.3%)	77.2	37^th of 224 public high schools	83.5%		90.1	15^th of 232 public high schools	93.5%	22					64.2	69.2		73.9	$13,322

Frequently Asked Questions about New Hope High School

What is the racial makeup of New Hope High School?

Students at New Hope High School are 50% White, 45% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend New Hope High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 787 students attended New Hope High School.

What district is New Hope High School in?

Lowndes County School District

Is New Hope High School a good school?

New Hope High School ranks 77^th of 224 Mississippi high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate New Hope High School!

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Latest Mississippi data All new data »

2025–26 MAAP test scoresNewAug 21, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataSep 26, 2025

2023–24 through 2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 26, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesSep 23, 2025

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