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Hickory Ridge Middle

Public Grades 6-8

40^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 95% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Hickory Ridge Middle is a grades 6–8 middle school in Harrisburg, NC, serving about 1,057 students as part of Cabarrus County Schools. For the 2025–2026 reporting cycle, it ranks 40th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools — placing it in the top 5% statewide with a 5-star rating. This is not a one-year fluke: Hickory Ridge has ranked in the 93rd–96th percentile for several consecutive years, showing durable, top-tier performance.

Academically, the school posts proficiency rates roughly 15–25 percentage points above its district and 25–35 points above the state in math, reading, and science. For example, 8th grade science proficiency is 90.9%, versus 76.9% district-wide and 68.6% statewide. Hickory Ridge is also a clear standout close to home: while Roberta Road Middle sits about 2.8 miles away and C C Griffin Middle about 3.1 miles away, those schools land in the 54th and 48th percentiles, respectively — a dramatic gap from Hickory Ridge's top-5% placement.

Attendance is another major strength. Only 7.8% of Hickory Ridge students were chronically absent in the most recent school year, versus 18.0% across Cabarrus County and 24.2% statewide. Nearby Harold E. Winkler Middle and J N Fries Magnet School report rates roughly 17% to 22%. Impressively, Hickory Ridge achieves these results with slightly leaner resources — per-student spending is about $7,652, and the student-teacher ratio is higher than at nearby schools. Outcomes are strong across many student groups too: English learner students rank in the top 2% of North Carolina middle schools, while low-income, special education, African American, and Hispanic students all rank between the 87th and 92nd percentiles statewide.

1,057

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7336 Raging Ridge Rd
Harrisburg, NC 28075-6745

(704) 260-6490

District: Cabarrus County Schools

Students who attend Hickory Ridge Middle usually attend:

High:

Hickory Ridge High

Feeder schools for Hickory Ridge Middle:

Elementary:	Harrisburg Elementary
	Hickory Ridge Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.5%

Asian:

26.8%

African American:

18.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Hickory Ridge Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 84th percentile in 2016 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (83% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg58%

40^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 5%▲ up 11 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	93.3	40 of 778	94.9%	★★★★★
2025	94.8	36 of 773	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	94.0	39 of 793	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	29 of 784	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.0	45 of 786	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	93.0	46 of 741	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	90.6	44 of 737	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	84.5	74 of 691	89.3%	★★★★☆
2017	84.1	80 of 694	88.5%	★★★★☆
2016	80.1	111 of 692	84.0%	★★★★☆
2015	77.5	138 of 705	80.4%	★★★★☆
2014	81.5	100 of 627	84.1%	★★★★☆
2013	85.3	75 of 673	88.9%	★★★★☆
2012	80.1	87 of 662	86.9%	★★★★☆
2011	80.2	83 of 648	87.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.8	42 of 553	92.4%	★★★★★
2025	95.4	18 of 546	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	94.0	28 of 560	95.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.6	15 of 559	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	96.7	14 of 550	97.5%	★★★★★
2021	97.5	15 of 533	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	96.1	16 of 519	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	88.1	35 of 494	92.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	17 of 121	86.0%	★★★★☆
2025	84.1	11 of 111	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	83.7	16 of 110	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	80.6	26 of 110	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	78.4	32 of 109	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	74.7	35 of 99	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	84.4	12 of 102	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	79.6	21 of 95	77.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	80.9	35 of 449	92.2%	★★★★★
2021	82.6	24 of 478	95.0%	★★★★★
2019	84.1	31 of 504	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	63.3	90 of 475	81.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.3	8 of 363	97.8%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	19 of 371	94.9%	★★★★★
2023	68.2	40 of 318	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	92.0	14 of 312	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	89.0	8 of 236	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	73.8	23 of 211	89.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	93.4	26 of 731	96.4%	★★★★★
2025	94.0	31 of 733	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	37 of 738	95.0%	★★★★★
2023	92.9	39 of 731	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	92.4	45 of 733	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	94.0	33 of 706	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	90.8	38 of 684	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	87.7	50 of 656	92.4%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	73 of 465	84.3%	★★★★☆
2025	73.1	66 of 458	85.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.7	34 of 461	92.6%	★★★★★
2023	70.5	89 of 452	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	71.9	52 of 450	88.4%	★★★★☆
2021	73.5	67 of 448	85.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.8	64 of 566	88.7%	★★★★☆
2025	87.8	38 of 562	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	27 of 564	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	86.7	38 of 553	93.1%	★★★★★
2022	86.3	38 of 541	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	91.5	25 of 522	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	86.0	36 of 493	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	61.7	147 of 472	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	94 of 725	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	88.5	48 of 729	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	81.2	78 of 743	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	90.3	33 of 735	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	87.0	43 of 689	93.8%	★★★★★
2021	88.0	31 of 633	95.1%	★★★★★
2019	83.8	50 of 639	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	72.3	110 of 604	81.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	42 of 736	94.3%	★★★★★
2025	94.7	34 of 733	95.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.2	34 of 751	95.5%	★★★★★
2023	95.1	25 of 747	96.7%	★★★★★
2022	92.6	43 of 748	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	90.5	51 of 711	92.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.8	49 of 697	93.0%	★★★★★
2018	80.8	96 of 665	85.6%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.5	6 of 67	91.0%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	11 of 333	96.7%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	31 of 328	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	89.3	24 of 306	92.2%	★★★★★
2023	84.8	29 of 302	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	89.1	16 of 283	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	90.1	17 of 248	93.1%	★★★★★
2019	88.9	12 of 237	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	83.4	26 of 221	88.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	45 of 500	91.0%	★★★★★
2025	69.2	58 of 478	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	92 of 473	80.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.4	94 of 644	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	85.9	78 of 649	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	93 of 652	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	89.3	48 of 656	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	87.8	63 of 658	90.4%	★★★★★
2021	87.5	65 of 632	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	85.3	72 of 624	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	80.8	88 of 596	85.2%	★★★★☆

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)98th percentile+3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)97th percentile~ school

Female (2026)96th percentile~ school

Male (2026)94th percentile~ school

African American (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)92nd percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)91st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)91st percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)89th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)87th percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2026)86th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)85th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)84th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science91%+22 vs state

Mathematics84%+28 vs state

Reading80%+24 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Excellent School with very impressive achievements. Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I go to Hickory Ridge Middle School and so far this year I have been pleased with the school and education that is taught. It is a fairly big school with many kids, and this school is very strict on rules. Overall I really like this school and I would go there next year for their eighth grade. Close Quote

Schools Near Hickory Ridge Middle

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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)				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	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th 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
Hickory Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	7336 Raging Ridge Rd	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6490	1,057	51	20.8	17.1%	428 (40.5%)	198 (18.7%)	88 (8.3%)	283 (26.8%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (5.1%)	93.3	40^th of 778 public middle schools	94.9%		94.8	36^th of 773 public middle schools	95.3%	4		87.1	83.0	81.8		80.5	81.7	77.6		90.9	$7,652	$395	$7,258
Roberta Road Middle	Public	6-8	4850 Roberta Rd	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(704) 260-6840	906	53	17.2	53.8%	307 (33.9%)	278 (30.7%)	218 (24.1%)	45 (5.0%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (5.7%)	53.8	360^th of 778 public middle schools	53.7%		54.5	334^th of 773 public middle schools	56.8%	26		58.2	55.5	48.5		51.2	55.0	62.5		73.2
C C Griffin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	7650 Griffin's Gate Drive	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6410	792	43	18.5	54.8%	266 (33.6%)	230 (29.0%)	216 (27.3%)	32 (4.0%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (5.4%)	48.9	407^th of 778 public middle schools	47.7%		51.9	370^th of 773 public middle schools	52.1%	37		50.8	54.3	53.5		51.3	56.1	56.2		65.8	$8,618	$798	$7,820
J N Fries Magnet School	Public, Magnet	6-8	133 Stonecrest Circle SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6510	755	44	17.3	50.9%	294 (38.9%)	190 (25.2%)	163 (21.6%)	51 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (7.4%)	53.4	366^th of 778 public middle schools	53.0%		63.1	261^st of 773 public middle schools	66.2%	105		60.2	54.0	47.1		59.3	60.3	55.6		65.8	$8,307	$482	$7,825
Harold E. Winkler Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4501 Weddington Rd NW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6450	1,094	63	17.3	62.2%	317 (29.0%)	292 (26.7%)	352 (32.2%)	54 (4.9%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	73 (6.7%)	48.5	410^th of 778 public middle schools	47.3%		47.8	406^th of 773 public middle schools	47.5%	4		53.0	50.9	47.6		56.8	62.5	52.4		62.1	$8,533	$668	$7,865
Northridge Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	7601 The Plaza	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-5015	1,014	55	18.3	99.7%	29 (2.9%)	548 (54.0%)	363 (35.8%)	33 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	38 (3.7%)	45	434^th of 778 public middle schools	44.2%		38	485^th of 773 public middle schools	37.3%	51		57.0	47.5	44.5		51.7	48.4	52.1		73.6	$9,314	$958	$8,355
James Martin Middle	Public	6-8	6301 University Pointe Blvd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5382	659	39	17.1	99.5%	18 (2.7%)	348 (52.8%)	251 (38.1%)	12 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (4.2%)	18.6	664^th of 778 public middle schools	14.7%		14.1	692^nd of 773 public middle schools	10.5%	28		29.0	30.7	24.3		33.9	43.9	45.5		62.6	$9,806	$1,067	$8,739
Gov's Village STEM (Upper)	Public, Magnet	5-8	7810 Neal Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-5775	684	37	18.5	99.6%	11 (1.6%)	395 (57.7%)	212 (31.0%)	39 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	23.7	617^th of 778 public middle schools	20.7%		33.1	519^th of 773 public middle schools	32.9%	98	52.3	44.1	39.2	21.9	46.1	40.5	49.5	39.0	69.3	59.6	$8,809	$242	$8,567
Northeast Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	5960 Brickstone Dr	Mint Hill	28227	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6920	594	33	17.8	99.5%	63 (10.6%)	209 (35.2%)	272 (45.8%)	28 (4.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.4%)	29.3	564^th of 778 public middle schools	27.5%		23.5	601^st of 773 public middle schools	22.3%	37		39.2	41.9	48.6		41.0	45.3	38.9		65.2	$11,166	$1,453	$9,713
Ridge Road Middle	Public	6-8	7260 Highland Creek Pkwy	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 344-3410	840	49	17.1	99.6%	53 (6.3%)	560 (66.7%)	154 (18.3%)	33 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.5%)	28.3	578^th of 778 public middle schools	25.7%		19.6	642^nd of 773 public middle schools	16.9%	64		55.1	37.0	29.6		50.0	40.2	45.8		58.4	$8,052	$671	$7,381

Frequently Asked Questions about Hickory Ridge Middle

What district is Hickory Ridge Middle in?

Cabarrus County Schools

How many students attend Hickory Ridge Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,057 students attended Hickory Ridge Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Ridge Middle?

Students at Hickory Ridge Middle are 40% White, 27% Asian, 19% African American, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is Hickory Ridge Middle a good school?

Yes. Hickory Ridge Middle ranks in the top 5.1% of North Carolina middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Hickory Ridge Middle attend?

Students who attend Hickory Ridge Middle usually go on to attend Hickory Ridge High

Rate Hickory Ridge Middle!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.