Best High Schools in Zip Code 39401

There are two high schools in zip code 39401 (Hattiesburg, MS): Hattiesburg High School, serving grades 9–12 with about 1,014 students, and North Forrest High School, a combined 7–12 school with 349 students, both located in a high-poverty area.

North Forrest is the clear academic standout in this zip code. It ranked 49th out of 224 Mississippi high schools in 2025–2026, earning 4 stars, and it outperforms Hattiesburg and often the state on end-of-course exams—80.3% proficient in Algebra I, 75.6% in Biology, and 51.1% in English II. It also has a 95.8% graduation rate and a chronic absenteeism rate of 18.3%, both better than state averages. Hattiesburg High School, by comparison, is much larger and serves a nearly universally low-income population (99.9% free/reduced lunch). Its 2025–2026 rank was 131st (2 stars), and while its graduation rate is solid at 94.4%, its proficiency rates trail—especially in Biology (49.5%) and English II (44.1%). Hattiesburg also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 28.5%, about 10 points higher than North Forrest. The two schools belong to different districts: Forrest County School District earns a 4-star rating, while Hattiesburg earns 3 stars.

Several takeaways emerge. First, high poverty does not automatically mean low performance—both schools beat the state graduation average, and North Forrest achieves strong academics despite high economic disadvantage. Second, North Forrest’s improvement is remarkable: it jumped from 113th to 49th in state rankings in one year, moving from 3 to 4 stars. However, its middle school math scores lag state averages, so the high school success may be driven by remediation or small cohorts. Third, chronic absenteeism likely explains much of Hattiesburg’s achievement gap; reducing it could be the most impactful strategy. Finally, the two schools are not perfectly comparable due to their grade spans, but on shared high-school subjects, North Forrest remains clearly ahead. For parents, this area offers a high-performing smaller school and a larger school with real challenges but a strong graduation rate.