Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Wilson, NC

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

10,244

Students

Districts

5-star schools

Top rankedRock Ridge Elementary42^nd of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

B O Barnes Elementary up 241 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

B O Barnes Elementary 11.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

2★

1★

6 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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

Summary:

The 21 public schools serving roughly 10,240 students in Wilson, North Carolina span elementary, middle, high, and alternative programs, and nearly every campus serves a student body that is at least 95% economically disadvantaged. Eighteen of the 21 schools belong to Wilson County Schools, while Sallie B Howard School, Wilson Preparatory Academy, and Eastern NC School for the Deaf operate as standalone districts. That shared context makes the wide variations in achievement across these schools particularly notable.

At the top end, Rock Ridge Elementary (97th percentile) and New Hope Elementary (95th percentile) are among North Carolina's best elementary schools despite free-and-reduced-price lunch rates above 99%, posting 5th-grade math proficiency near or above 90% versus a 62.9% state average. Sallie B Howard School, the largest school on the list with 1,228 K-12 students, records 98.8% proficiency in 8th-grade math and a 100% pass rate on Math III. Among high schools, Wilson Early College Academy (93rd percentile) and Wilson Academy of Applied Technology (91st percentile) both earn 5-star ratings with near-universal EOC proficiency.

At the other extreme, Vick Elementary (4th percentile) and Margaret Hearne Elementary (17th percentile) struggle badly, and Charles H Darden Middle posts just 18.9% proficiency in 8th-grade math while Forest Hills Middle exceeds the state average. The comprehensive high schools — James Hunt High, Fike High, and Beddingfield High — rank in the bottom quarter with graduation rates from 76.7% to 84.0% and Math I proficiency as low as 14.2%; Wilson Preparatory Academy, by contrast, graduates 91.3% of its students. Chronic absenteeism follows the same divide, below 16% at the strongest schools but above 33% at Vick, Darden, and Milton M Daniels Learning Center (67.1%).

Load more schools when map is moved

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)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sallie B Howard School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1004 Herring Avenue E	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Sallie B Howard School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(252) 293-4150	1,228	77	15.9	97.1%	35 (2.9%)	637 (51.9%)	490 (39.9%)	15 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (4.0%)								(n/a)	84.2	90.4	93.8	100.0	72.4	72.4	95.2	90.5	92.9	98.8	74.5	80.0	67.0	89.5	82.8	87.2	88.3	95.7
Wilson Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2755 Tilghman Rd N	Wilson	27894	Wilson County	Wilson Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(252) 294-2533	725	41	17.6	98.6%	39 (5.4%)	566 (78.1%)	65 (9.0%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (6.8%)								(n/a)	49.1	81.3	34.0	66.7	50.0	62.1	61.7	53.8	80.8	70.7	45.0	53.0	65.0	66.2	63.5	62.1	85.0	81.0
Wilson Preparatory Remote Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2755 Tilghman Rd N	Wilson	27896	Wilson County	Wilson Preparatory Academy	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(252) 294-2533	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
B O Barnes Elementary	Public	K-5	1913 Martin L King Parkway	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7875	274	23	11.9	98.9%	8 (2.9%)	209 (76.3%)	50 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	45.6	812^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.6%		32.3	1053^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	29.3%	241					64.7	57.1	78.8				55.9	45.2	27.3				69.7		$11,225	$3,242	$7,983
Beddingfield High	Public	9-12	4510 Old Stantonsburg Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7880	653	48	13.6	99.5%	109 (16.7%)	304 (46.6%)	225 (34.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.1%)	26.9	501^st of 662 public high schools	24.3%		35.4	409^th of 641 public high schools	36.2%	92	47.8	49.2	26.8	58.0															$9,512	$718	$8,794
Frederick Douglass Elementary	Public	K-5	1301 Corbett Ave	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 236-4574	339	22	15.1	98.5%	114 (33.6%)	118 (34.8%)	78 (23.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.4%)	69.7	423^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	71.6%		66.5	460^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.1%	37					73.7	57.8	81.5				70.2	62.5	64.8				70.4		$9,313	$1,225	$8,089
Fike High	Public	9-12	500 Harrison Dr N	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7905	1,028	55	18.7	98.8%	309 (30.1%)	468 (45.5%)	200 (19.5%)	11 (1.1%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.2%)	27.9	495^th of 662 public high schools	25.2%		32.5	429^th of 641 public high schools	33.1%	66	44.7	51.0	25.0	61.9															$8,482	$699	$7,783
James Hunt High	Public	9-12	4559 Lamm Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7930	1,115	62	17.9	98.7%	374 (33.5%)	420 (37.7%)	258 (23.1%)	9 (0.8%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.3%)	23.2	535^th of 662 public high schools	19.2%		36.6	400^th of 641 public high schools	37.6%	135	35.0	58.6	14.2	56.3															$8,469	$640	$7,829
Margaret Hearne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 W Gold St	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7925	423	27	15.9	99.3%	19 (4.5%)	242 (57.2%)	138 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	22.7	1233^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	17.4%		22.8	1224^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.9%	9					35.0	34.8	52.7				38.3	44.9	41.8				67.3		$10,414	$2,422	$7,993
New Hope Elementary	Public	K-5	4826 Packhouse Rd	Wilson	27896	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7950	460	29	15.6	99.3%	210 (45.7%)	111 (24.1%)	83 (18.0%)	30 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.4%)	93.2	69^th of 1492 public elementary schools	95.4%		95.3	51^st of 1490 public elementary schools	96.6%	18					82.1	88.9	92.5				73.1	85.6	80.6				91.0		$9,265	$666	$8,598
Rock Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	6605 Rock Ridge School Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7955	476	29	16.6	99.4%	251 (52.7%)	49 (10.3%)	149 (31.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.8%)	94.9	42^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	97.2%		93.5	66^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.6%	24					89.8	89.7	87.0				86.4	88.5	79.7				87.0		$8,909	$1,031	$7,878
Vinson-Bynum Elementary	Public	K-5	1601 Tarboro St SW	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7981	458	29	15.8	99.3%	63 (13.8%)	294 (64.2%)	69 (15.1%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	70.2	412^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.4%		58.7	585^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.7%	173					86.9	60.0	62.7				64.3	65.9	63.3				75.0		$11,625	$1,594	$10,030
Wells Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Grove St N	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7986	383	23	16.7	95.8%	69 (18.0%)	227 (59.3%)	58 (15.1%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	41.4	888^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.5%		46.8	805^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.0%	83					78.0	46.0	56.1				66.0	50.0	40.4				56.1		$9,928	$1,749	$8,179
Charles H Darden Middle	Public	6-8	1665 Lipscomb Road	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 206-4973	378	28	13.6	99.2%	10 (2.6%)	242 (64.0%)	116 (30.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	18.3	665^th of 778 public middle schools	14.5%		18	660^th of 773 public middle schools	14.6%	5								40.8	30.7	18.9				34.2	50.9	44.5		46.4	$12,284	$3,499	$8,785
Forest Hills Middle	Public	6-8	1210 Forest Hills	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7913	654	36	18.2	99.5%	79 (12.1%)	400 (61.2%)	113 (17.3%)	23 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.0%)	57.1	331^st of 778 public middle schools	57.5%		52	367^th of 773 public middle schools	52.5%	36								47.1	53.3	67.6				57.2	58.3	57.5		76.0	$8,665	$708	$7,958
Milton M Daniels Learning Center	Public, Alternative	2-12	723 Elvie Street	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7900	62	9	6.8	95.2%	9 (14.5%)	42 (67.7%)	10 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)								(n/a)									539.2	13.8					25.9	34.5		27.6	$14,459	$946	$13,513
Vick Elementary	Public	K-5	504 N Carroll Street	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7886	359	23	15.4	99.2%	9 (2.5%)	251 (69.9%)	91 (25.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	8.9	1431^st of 1492 public elementary schools	4.1%		14.3	1356^th of 1490 public elementary schools	9.0%	75					30.6	25.4	45.6				26.4	26.9	33.3				54.4		$13,719	$3,492	$10,227
John W Jones Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4028 Highway 42 West	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 265-4020	601	36	16.8	99.5%	120 (20.0%)	319 (53.1%)	100 (16.6%)	26 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	32 (5.3%)	35	1004^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.7%		41.1	896^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.9%	108					45.7	35.6	66.2				44.3	48.9	58.8				64.7		$10,499	$2,342	$8,156
Wilson Early College Academy	Public	9-12	902 Herring St	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 246-1418	268	13	20.4	37.3%	103 (38.4%)	89 (33.2%)	61 (22.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.7%)	92.1	48^th of 662 public high schools	92.7%		95.6	14^th of 641 public high schools	97.8%	34	88.4	97.9	93.3	100.0															$6,572	$272	$6,300
Wilson Academy of Applied Technology	Public	9-12	4809 Ward Blvd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 265-4038	280	15	19.3	45.7%	80 (28.6%)	61 (21.8%)	117 (41.8%)	8 (2.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.6%)	91.7	61^st of 662 public high schools	90.8%		94.1	33^rd of 641 public high schools	94.9%	28	95.1	100.0	90.9	94.1															$11,011	$214	$10,797
Wilson Academy of Virtual Education	Public, Virtual	6-12	117 NE Tarboro St	Wilson	27894	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(252) 399-7700	44	0	146.6	50.0%	26 (59.1%)	12 (27.3%)	3 (6.8%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	1 (2.3%)								(n/a)	30.0
Eastern NC School for the Deaf	Public, Alternative	K-12	1311 Hwy 301 South	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Eastern NC School for the Deaf	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(252) 237-2450	36	21	1.7	91.7%	7 (19.4%)	17 (47.2%)	7 (19.4%)	1 (2.8%)	1 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)								(n/a)

Cities Near Wilson

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Elm City	6.25 mi	3	49^th
Black Creek	6.48 mi	1	191^st
Lucama	7.29 mi	2	22^nd
Stantonsburg	8.15 mi	2	236^th
Bailey	11.48 mi	2	237^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.