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Alexander Central High

Q: Is Alexander Central High a good school?

Alexander Central High ranks 310 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

310^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 52% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Alexander Central High is a public high school located in Taylorsville, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,248 students. The school is part of the Alexander County Schools district, which is ranked 99 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Alexander Central High has consistently ranked in the middle range of North Carolina high schools, maintaining a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past five years. The school performs better for some student subgroups, such as multi-racial students and disabled students, but struggles with English Language Learners and African American students. The school's four-year graduation rate has been relatively stable, ranging from 81.5% to 87.7%, which is slightly below the state average. Alexander Central High's test scores on End-of-Course (EOC) exams are mixed, with the school performing better in Math III and English II, but struggling in Biology and Math I.

Interestingly, Alexander Early College, a smaller high school within the same district, consistently outperforms Alexander Central High on test scores and statewide rankings, despite serving a similar student population. Additionally, nearby schools like Challenger Early College High and Wilkes Early College High School are among the top-performing high schools in the state, while other nearby schools, such as West Iredell High, Hickory High, and Wilkes Central High School, perform significantly worse than Alexander Central High on various metrics.

1,254

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,255

Per pupil spending ?

99.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

223 School Drive
Taylorsville, NC 28681-2399

(828) 632-7063

District: Alexander County Schools

Feeder schools for Alexander Central High:

Elementary:	Bethlehem Elementary
	Ellendale Elementary
	Hiddenite Elementary
	Stony Point Elementary
	More...
	Sugar Loaf Elementary
	Taylorsville Elementary
	Wittenburg Elementary
Middle:	East Alexander Middle
	West Alexander Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.1%

Hispanic:

10.3%

Two or more races:

4.9%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Alexander Central High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2015 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (82% vs 88%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg57%

North Carolina avg53%

310^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 25% (2015) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Alexander County Schools

99^th of 242Alexander County Schools among North Carolina 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	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	310 of 641	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	269 of 640	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	248 of 626	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	198 of 621	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.2	205 of 594	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.2	206 of 514	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.6	254 of 469	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	44.8	217 of 476	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.7	132 of 507	74.0%	★★★★☆
2015	55.6	135 of 531	74.6%	★★★★☆
2014	46.3	179 of 451	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	40.6	228 of 505	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.0	227 of 502	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.0	252 of 506	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.4	257 of 499	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.0	216 of 490	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	48.8	260 of 477	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.5	169 of 453	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	59.7	153 of 431	64.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	240 of 440	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	265 of 437	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.4	260 of 434	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.1	90 of 430	79.1%	★★★★☆
2021	60.3	74 of 364	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	38.1	188 of 369	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	67.0	54 of 330	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	64.6	62 of 334	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	62.9	77 of 364	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	39.9	186 of 349	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	22.9	241 of 273	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	318 of 610	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.6	266 of 602	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	246 of 588	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	175 of 594	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	58.9	135 of 475	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	53.8	178 of 475	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.8	264 of 449	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	252 of 412	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.3	210 of 403	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.2	232 of 403	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.4	133 of 398	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.0	39 of 337	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	53.4	169 of 325	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.7	86 of 100	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	308 of 462	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.4	216 of 454	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.8	233 of 449	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.7	100 of 436	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	42.8	152 of 370	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.1	265 of 354	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.6	174 of 340	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	333 of 606	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.6	254 of 613	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	231 of 597	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	132 of 544	75.7%	★★★★☆
2021	66.2	44 of 432	89.8%	★★★★★
2019	46.4	160 of 446	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.5	198 of 424	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.3	291 of 601	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.0	251 of 607	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	244 of 602	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.7	191 of 585	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.3	122 of 481	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	43.8	237 of 488	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.3	267 of 463	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.1	147 of 253	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	79.1	40 of 261	84.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	60 of 249	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	44 of 226	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	52.7	88 of 199	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.5	93 of 195	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.8	100 of 185	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	237 of 352	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.7	124 of 349	64.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	342 of 542	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	330 of 553	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	275 of 537	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.2	243 of 534	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.5	174 of 439	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.3	261 of 444	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.3	346 of 427	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2022)84th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)52nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)48th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)45th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)45th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)42nd percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)39th percentile-13 vs school

White (2025)37th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2025)33rd percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)12th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III76%+10 vs state

English II57%~ state avg

Biology42%-7 vs state

Math I40%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Alexander Central High

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)	EOG Mathematics (2025)	EOG Reading (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	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alexander Central High	Public	9-12	223 School Drive	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7063	1,254	79	15.9	99.8%	992 (79.1%)	59 (4.7%)	129 (10.3%)	10 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (4.9%)	48.8	310^th of 641 public high schools	51.6%		54.2	269^th of 640 public high schools	58.0%	41	41.5	57.1	39.9	76.0			$10,255	$776	$9,479
Alexander Early College	Public	9-12	345 Industrial Blvd	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-8221	172	6	28.6	98.3%	122 (70.9%)	3 (1.7%)	34 (19.8%)	9 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	87.2	96^th of 641 public high schools	85.0%		86.3	106^th of 640 public high schools	83.4%	10	66.7	85.4	78.1	97.5			$6,455	$116	$6,339
Gateway School	Public	6-12	1889 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-8373	53	9	5.9	94.3%	33 (62.3%)	2 (3.8%)	9 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (15.1%)								(n/a)			18.2		7.7	23.1	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
Saint Stephens High	Public	9-12	3205 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9841	1,268	57	22.0	99.8%	560 (44.2%)	109 (8.6%)	442 (34.9%)	62 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (7.5%)	58	243^rd of 641 public high schools	62.1%		50.2	297^th of 640 public high schools	53.6%	54	52.3	58.1	52.4	74.7			$8,502	$740	$7,761
Bunker Hill High	Public	9-12	4675 Oxford School Road	Claremont	28610	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 241-3355	845	40	21.1	99.6%	457 (54.1%)	69 (8.2%)	179 (21.2%)	86 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.4%)	30.3	441^st of 641 public high schools	31.2%		38.7	377^th of 640 public high schools	41.1%	64	40.5	43.6	24.7	59.4			$8,880	$745	$8,136
Wilkes Central High School	Public	9-12	1179 Moravian Falls Rd	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 667-5277	719	49	14.6	99.6%	365 (50.8%)	79 (11.0%)	191 (26.6%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (10.3%)	45.9	332^nd of 641 public high schools	48.2%		30.9	442^nd of 640 public high schools	30.9%	110	28.7	54.9	54.3	70.3			$9,054	$938	$8,116
West Iredell High	Public	9-12	213 Warrior Dr	Statesville	28625	Iredell County	Iredell-Statesville Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 873-2181	767	43	17.7	99.1%	398 (51.9%)	130 (16.9%)	153 (19.9%)	25 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (7.8%)	20.6	520^th of 641 public high schools	18.9%		11.5	579^th of 640 public high schools	9.5%	59	36.9	49.7	15.3	34.3			$9,961	$600	$9,361
Hickory High	Public	9-12	1234 3rd Street NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 322-5860	1,024	38	26.6	99.7%	358 (35.0%)	196 (19.1%)	297 (29.0%)	47 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.6%)	120 (11.7%)	26.1	486^th of 641 public high schools	24.2%		37.8	390^th of 640 public high schools	39.1%	96	23.9	49.0	25.6	57.9			$8,704	$694	$8,010
Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School	Public	9-12	409 8th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 328-6738	201	13	15.2	98.5%	107 (53.2%)	22 (10.9%)	45 (22.4%)	6 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (10.4%)	56.6	253^rd of 641 public high schools	60.5%		61.7	224^th of 640 public high schools	65.0%	29	47.4	78.4	22.2	80.4			$15,342	$1,043	$14,299
Wilkes Early College High School	Public	9-12	1328 S Collegiate Dr	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 838-6247	265	9	29.4	98.9%	205 (77.4%)	6 (2.3%)	36 (13.6%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	89.7	79^th of 641 public high schools	87.7%		90.2	72^nd of 640 public high schools	88.8%	7	89.3	100.0	57.6	91.0			$6,729	$458	$6,271

Frequently Asked Questions about Alexander Central High

What schools feed into Alexander Central High?

Alexander Central High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bethlehem Elementary
Elementary : Ellendale Elementary
Elementary : Hiddenite Elementary
Elementary : Stony Point Elementary
Elementary : Sugar Loaf Elementary
Elementary : Taylorsville Elementary
Elementary : Wittenburg Elementary
Middle : East Alexander Middle
Middle : West Alexander Middle

How many students attend Alexander Central High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,254 students attended Alexander Central High.

Is Alexander Central High a good school?

Alexander Central High ranks 310^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Alexander Central High?

Students at Alexander Central High are 79% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American.

What district is Alexander Central High in?

Alexander County Schools

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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.