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Central Cabarrus High

Q: Is Central Cabarrus High a good school?

Central Cabarrus High ranks 366 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

366^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 45% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Central Cabarrus High is a large comprehensive high school in Concord, NC, serving 1,369 students in grades 9–12 within the Cabarrus County Schools district. The school ranked at the 45th percentile statewide for 2025–2026 — an improvement over last year's 33rd-percentile showing and closer to its stronger historical results. In its own district, Central is in a crowded middle tier: it trails Hickory Ridge High (82nd percentile) and elite county options like Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute and Cabarrus Early College of Technology, but it outranks Concord High (36th percentile) and sits close to Mount Pleasant High (49th), West Cabarrus High (47th), and Jay M Robinson High (43rd).

The school's most distinctive feature is how well it serves certain student groups despite its middling overall rank. Central's effectiveness with English Learner students places it in the top 12% of North Carolina high schools, while its work with African American students ranks in the top 30% — both improving sharply from the previous year. Special education and low-income students also perform better than the school's overall rank would suggest. Parents should also note the solid 89.3% graduation rate, which edges past the state average and beats Concord High (87.7%) and West Cabarrus High (85.6%), especially meaningful given that more than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Math I is the clearest academic weak spot. Only 38.8% of Central students passed the course, below the state average of 42.1% and behind every nearby comparable school except Mount Pleasant High — including Concord High, which ranks lower overall yet beats Central by more than six points in Math I. English II also trails state averages, while Biology is exactly average and Math III runs slightly above it. Chronic absenteeism, though improved from 33.1% to 25.2% over the past several years, remains well above the district's 18.0% rate. For families considering Central, the picture is genuinely mixed: traditionally underserved students find strong support here, while transitional math help and attendance remain the areas most likely to hold the school back.

1,369

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,314

Per pupil spending ?

54.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

505 Hwy 49 S
Concord, NC 28025-9298

(704) 260-6570

District: Cabarrus County Schools

Feeder schools for Central Cabarrus High:

Elementary:	Bethel Elementary
	Rocky River Elementary
Middle:	C C Griffin Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.8%

African American:

29.1%

Hispanic:

24.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Central Cabarrus High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 33rd percentile in 2025 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 45th (2026) from a 33rd-percentile low (2025)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg69%

North Carolina avg60%

366^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5High Schools in the Cabarrus County Schools

67^th of 246Cabarrus 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
2026	45.0	366 of 662	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.6	428 of 641	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	392 of 640	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	390 of 626	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.8	322 of 621	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.4	235 of 594	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.0	248 of 514	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.2	226 of 469	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	39.9	248 of 476	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.6	206 of 507	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.0	217 of 531	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	44.7	188 of 451	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.6	98 of 505	80.6%	★★★★☆
2012	56.1	180 of 502	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.4	152 of 506	70.0%	★★★★☆
2010	55.6	231 of 499	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.2	94 of 490	80.8%	★★★★☆
2008	68.2	81 of 477	83.0%	★★★★☆
2007	66.7	93 of 453	79.5%	★★★★☆
2006	68.9	82 of 431	81.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	133 of 450	70.4%	★★★★☆
2025	38.8	246 of 440	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.4	237 of 437	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	222 of 434	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	184 of 430	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.8	43 of 364	88.2%	★★★★☆
2019	51.6	110 of 369	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	43.1	172 of 359	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	22.1	285 of 330	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	235 of 334	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.2	293 of 364	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.1	323 of 349	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.7	35 of 289	87.9%	★★★★☆
2025	44.4	131 of 273	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.7	145 of 262	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.1	213 of 226	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	44.1	64 of 156	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.8	55 of 124	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.6	149 of 173	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	383 of 629	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.0	408 of 610	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	361 of 602	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	350 of 588	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.9	300 of 594	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.3	153 of 475	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.4	250 of 475	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.6	239 of 449	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.7	277 of 407	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.7	195 of 412	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.3	162 of 403	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.6	273 of 403	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.0	208 of 398	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	83.8	9 of 337	97.3%	★★★★★
2019	59.2	134 of 325	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	235 of 474	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	28.9	343 of 462	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.2	281 of 454	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.9	303 of 449	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.8	318 of 436	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.5	162 of 370	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.4	193 of 354	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.6	200 of 340	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	280 of 620	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.1	428 of 606	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.4	365 of 613	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.9	379 of 597	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	319 of 544	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.7	99 of 432	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	40.0	216 of 446	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	190 of 424	55.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	332 of 624	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.8	437 of 601	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	403 of 607	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.5	416 of 602	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	332 of 585	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	162 of 481	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.2	231 of 488	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.8	227 of 463	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.7	119 of 265	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.0	178 of 253	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.7	139 of 261	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.9	186 of 249	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	56.6	77 of 226	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.6	107 of 199	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.3	152 of 195	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.8	121 of 185	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.8	136 of 372	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	26.7	278 of 352	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	280 of 349	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.1	347 of 551	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	355 of 542	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	355 of 553	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.6	343 of 537	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.4	241 of 534	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	136 of 439	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.2	212 of 444	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.9	176 of 427	58.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)88th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2026)70th percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2026)63rd percentile+19 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)55th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)50th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)47th percentile~ school

Female (2026)39th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)32nd percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2022)14th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III70%~ state avg

English II60%-4 vs state

Biology58%~ state avg

Math I39%-3 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

There are certainly socio-economic factors at play when comparing this high school to other high schools and lower test scores. However, my sons have done very well after graduating and they definitely say their high school teachers and opportunities played a big part in their success. One child, who was only an average student, said he was far more prepared in college than most other students from rural high schools. He also said his computer classes in high school helped put him far ahead of the average college student. As a parent I watched teachers during covid remote learning and they seemed to have well prepared lessons with well versed dialogue and engagement with students. The principal, Mr. Shoe, was always engaged with students and parents and was genuinely invested in students success. This school provides many opportunities outside of class. This school is far superior than test scores show. Close Quote

Schools Near Central Cabarrus High

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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)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Cabarrus High	Public, Magnet	9-12	505 Hwy 49 S	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6570	1,369	86	15.9	54.0%	531 (38.8%)	399 (29.1%)	339 (24.8%)	13 (0.9%)	6 (0.4%)	6 (0.4%)	75 (5.5%)	45	366^th of 662 public high schools	44.7%		32.6	428^th of 641 public high schools	33.2%	62	58.5	60.2	38.8	69.9						$8,314	$531	$7,784
Cabarrus County Opportunity School	Public	6-12	120 Marsh Avenue NW	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-5800	41	10	4.1	92.7%	8 (19.5%)	19 (46.3%)	9 (22.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (12.2%)								(n/a)										$29,596	$2,369	$27,226
Cabarrus Early College of Technology	Public	9-12	670 Concord Parkway North	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6750	236	7	36.1	32.2%	113 (47.9%)	35 (14.8%)	44 (18.6%)	28 (11.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.9%)	90.9	67^th of 662 public high schools	89.9%		93.5	44^th of 641 public high schools	93.1%	23	93.0	93.0	88.6	94.7						$8,795	$218	$8,577
Performance Learning Center	Public	9-12	4521 Weddington Road	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6800	77	7	11.8	96.1%	37 (48.1%)	13 (16.9%)	23 (29.9%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.9%)	25.7	514^th of 662 public high schools	22.4%		29.2	462^nd of 641 public high schools	27.9%	52	52.2	57.1		38.7						$10,998	$489	$10,509
Cabarrus County Schools Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	4511 Weddington Road	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(704) 260-6820	107	4	26.7	42.1%	61 (57.0%)	15 (14.0%)	17 (15.9%)	3 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (10.3%)	45.9	359^th of 662 public high schools	45.8%		44.7	342^nd of 641 public high schools	46.6%	17	57.7	76.9	50.0	50.0	54.5	20.0	81.8	60.0	80.0
Jay M Robinson High	Public	9-12	300 Pitts School Road SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6660	1,210	69	17.6	51.8%	381 (31.5%)	413 (34.1%)	299 (24.7%)	42 (3.5%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (5.8%)	43.7	379^th of 662 public high schools	42.7%		43.2	348^th of 641 public high schools	45.7%	31	58.0	59.3	47.7	61.5						$9,469	$752	$8,717
West Cabarrus High	Public	9-12	4100 Weddington Rd	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-5970	1,627	86	18.9	57.2%	472 (29.0%)	508 (31.2%)	526 (32.3%)	36 (2.2%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	78 (4.8%)	47.1	348^th of 662 public high schools	47.4%		40.1	375^th of 641 public high schools	41.5%	27	50.6	57.1	44.4	80.2
Hickory Ridge High	Public	9-12	7321 Raging Ridge Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6630	1,671	83	20.2	19.6%	770 (46.1%)	386 (23.1%)	190 (11.4%)	240 (14.4%)	8 (0.5%)	3 (0.2%)	74 (4.4%)	83.2	122^nd of 662 public high schools	81.6%		74.7	157^th of 641 public high schools	75.5%	35	82.7	85.5	70.3	90.5						$7,738	$474	$7,264
Concord High	Public, Magnet	9-12	481 Burrage Road NE	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6000	1,128	71	15.9	—	312 (27.7%)	355 (31.5%)	389 (34.5%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (5.6%)	37.8	421^st of 662 public high schools	36.4%		38.8	386^th of 641 public high schools	39.8%	35	46.5	51.9	45.3	69.6						$9,116	$520	$8,595
Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute	Public	9-12	421 Medical Park Dr NE	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(704) 260-6860	159	6	25.1	30.2%	47 (29.6%)	28 (17.6%)	31 (19.5%)	38 (23.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (8.8%)	91.7	60^th of 662 public high schools	90.9%					(n/a)	92.5	100.0	80.0	96.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Cabarrus High

What schools feed into Central Cabarrus High?

Central Cabarrus High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bethel Elementary
Elementary : Rocky River Elementary
Middle : C C Griffin Middle

Is Central Cabarrus High a good school?

Central Cabarrus High ranks 366^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Central Cabarrus High?

Students at Central Cabarrus High are 39% White, 29% African American, 25% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Central Cabarrus High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,369 students attended Central Cabarrus High.

What district is Central Cabarrus High in?

Cabarrus County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.