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Best Public Schools in Columbus, NC

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

Schools

648

Students

Top rankedPolk County Early College70^th of 641 North Carolina high schools

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Biggest riser

Polk County High School up 12 spots statewide this year

Compare North Carolina cities →See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The city of Columbus, North Carolina is home to two high schools: Polk County High School and Polk County Early College. Both schools serve students in the Polk County Schools district.

Based on the data, Polk County Early College appears to be the standout school in this set. It is ranked significantly higher than Polk County High School in the statewide school rankings, placing 70th out of 641 high schools in 2024-2025 compared to Polk County High's 280th ranking. Polk County Early College has consistently maintained a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, while Polk County High has a 3-star rating. Additionally, Polk County Early College has significantly higher test scores than the district and state averages across multiple subject areas and a higher 4-year graduation rate of 87.7% compared to the 87.7% rate at Polk County High.

While Polk County High School has a higher enrollment of 593 students compared to Polk County Early College's 55 students, the early college spends less per student ($9,557 vs $12,130) and has a slightly lower student-teacher ratio of 13:1 compared to 14:1 at the high school. Both schools serve student populations with very high rates of free/reduced lunch eligibility, indicating they cater to economically disadvantaged communities.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Polk County High School	Public	9-12	1681 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2525	596	32	18.5	99.5%	433 (72.7%)	42 (7.0%)	93 (15.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.5%)	52	280^th of 641 public high schools	56.3%		50.8	292^nd of 640 public high schools	54.4%	12	48.2	66.9	34.2	70.7	$12,130	$897	$11,232
Polk County Early College	Public	9-12	1545 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2698	52	3	18.9	94.2%	46 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	90.8	70^th of 641 public high schools	89.1%		94.8	29^th of 640 public high schools	95.5%	41		100.0		91.7	$9,557	$127	$9,430

Cities Near Columbus

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Tryon	3.56 mi	1	109^th
Mill Spring	3.98 mi	3	136^th
Saluda	8.7 mi	1	6^th
Lake Lure	11.44 mi	1
Flat Rock	12.06 mi	3	299^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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.