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Hickory Ridge Elementary

Public Grades K-5

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 97% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Hickory Ridge Elementary is a K–5 school in Harrisburg, NC, serving about 927 students as part of Cabarrus County Schools — and it ranks as one of the very best elementary schools in North Carolina, sitting 51st out of 1,492 schools statewide, the 97th percentile, with a 5-star rating. That standing is no accident: the school has climbed steadily from 186th in 2020–2021 to its current spot, an upward trajectory that stands out even as several nearby schools have stalled or slipped.

Academically, Hickory Ridge posts exceptional results on state tests in every grade and subject. In 4th grade math, 94.9% of students scored proficient — about 24 points above the district average and over 33 points above the state. Science is another standout, with 92.1% of 5th graders proficient. Even the school's lowest reading score, 77.4% in 3rd grade, is roughly 22 points above the North Carolina average. Among nearby Cabarrus County schools, only Harrisburg Elementary (ranked 70th statewide) compares, with Hickory Ridge holding the edge in 4th grade math, 4th grade reading, and 5th grade science. Other nearby schools like Patriots Elementary (277th), Pitts School Road Elementary (427th), and Rocky River Elementary (788th) trail well behind.

Attendance and student support are also strong. Just 9.5% of Hickory Ridge students are chronically absent, far better than the 18% district rate and the 24.2% state rate, and this figure has improved sharply from 15.6% a few years ago. The school earns high marks for how well it serves different groups of learners: its African American students rank 13th statewide, English learners rank 20th, and students from low-income households rank in the 84th percentile. With 15% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and strong results across subgroups, Hickory Ridge demonstrates that its success extends well beyond any single group of students — making it one of the strongest elementary options in the greater Harrisburg–Concord area.

927

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

15%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9464 Hickory Ridge Rd
Harrisburg, NC 28075

(704) 260-5950

District: Cabarrus County Schools

Students who attend Hickory Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hickory Ridge Middle
High:	Hickory Ridge High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

38.8%

White:

31.1%

African American:

16.1%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Hickory Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 88th percentile in 2021 → 97th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (87% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school87%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

51^st of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 3%▲ up 9 pts since 2021

From top 12% (2021) to top 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary 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	94.5	51 of 1492	96.6%	★★★★★
2025	94.0	61 of 1490	95.9%	★★★★★
2024	90.3	110 of 1505	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	89.1	119 of 1502	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	87.6	138 of 1514	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	84.7	186 of 1489	87.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.7	13 of 903	98.6%	★★★★★
2025	87.3	58 of 918	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	23 of 924	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.7	41 of 933	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.6	51 of 927	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	94.0	28 of 896	96.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	26 of 134	80.6%	★★★★☆
2025	76.1	23 of 131	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	67.7	49 of 130	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.7	34 of 114	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	64.7	50 of 107	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.6	56 of 95	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	54.0	217 of 646	66.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	93.9	20 of 519	96.1%	★★★★★
2025	94.0	20 of 563	96.4%	★★★★★
2024	90.9	29 of 533	94.6%	★★★★★
2023	92.8	21 of 514	95.9%	★★★★★
2022	79.6	41 of 485	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	83.2	25 of 385	93.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.3	42 of 1447	97.1%	★★★★★
2025	92.8	56 of 1451	96.1%	★★★★★
2024	90.7	86 of 1455	94.1%	★★★★★
2023	87.7	116 of 1459	92.0%	★★★★★
2022	84.6	158 of 1458	89.2%	★★★★☆
2021	81.4	200 of 1440	86.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	68.7	157 of 710	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	172 of 669	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.3	197 of 582	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	146 of 500	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	71.4	94 of 494	81.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.8	84 of 981	91.4%	★★★★★
2025	75.1	148 of 961	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	53.1	415 of 951	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.5	150 of 915	83.6%	★★★★☆
2022	74.8	153 of 893	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	77.3	115 of 843	86.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.7	235 of 1434	83.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	233 of 1437	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	147 of 1450	89.9%	★★★★☆
2023	61.2	474 of 1437	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.4	624 of 1366	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.5	329 of 1329	75.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.0	66 of 1451	95.5%	★★★★★
2025	92.4	74 of 1450	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	87.3	136 of 1464	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	87.8	122 of 1461	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	122 of 1464	91.7%	★★★★★
2021	85.1	168 of 1444	88.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	80.5	26 of 175	85.1%	★★★★☆
2021	89.8	7 of 97	92.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.2	95 of 815	88.3%	★★★★☆
2025	66.7	158 of 821	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	59.8	219 of 801	72.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	140 of 1146	87.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.1	171 of 1172	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	270 of 1166	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	291 of 1183	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	74.3	268 of 1194	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	67.9	341 of 1172	70.9%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2026)99th percentile~ school

Female (2026)97th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)96th percentile~ school

Male (2026)95th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)91st percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)88th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)88th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)85th percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2026)81st percentile-16 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)78th percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2021)66th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science92%+24 vs state

Mathematics89%+25 vs state

Reading83%+27 vs state

2.3

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Sunday, March 5, 2023

Lots of teacher turn over. Same turn over problem at the principals previous school. Teachers are great. Close Quote

by a teacher
Saturday, February 11, 2023

Lots of turn over. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Great School. Excellent Learning environment. The school has a bright future with lots of potential for success. Close Quote

Schools Near Hickory Ridge Elementary

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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 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
Hickory Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	9464 Hickory Ridge Rd	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-5950	927	65	14.3	15.0%	288 (31.1%)	149 (16.1%)	64 (6.9%)	360 (38.8%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (6.6%)	94.5	51^st of 1492 public elementary schools	96.6%		94	61^st of 1490 public elementary schools	95.9%	10	83.9	94.9	87.6				77.4	87.6	83.6				92.1
Harrisburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 Stallings Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6190	850	53	16.0	21.1%	364 (42.8%)	145 (17.1%)	63 (7.4%)	228 (26.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.5%)	93	70^th of 1492 public elementary schools	95.3%		93.5	65^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.6%	5	87.3	85.2	86.3				77.6	81.2	82.6				87.6		$8,156	$486	$7,670
Patriots Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	1510 Holden Ave SW	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6230	636	46	13.7	37.3%	207 (32.5%)	185 (29.1%)	111 (17.5%)	90 (14.2%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.0%)	77	277^th of 1492 public elementary schools	81.4%		69.7	398^th of 1490 public elementary schools	73.3%	121	75.3	73.7	75.0				64.9	69.5	70.2				73.1		$8,181	$456	$7,725
A.C.E. Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7807 Caldwell Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	A.C.E. Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 456-7153	421	28	14.7	97.9%	9 (2.1%)	323 (76.7%)	68 (16.2%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	21	1264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.3%		24.7	1192^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	20.0%	72	40.8	55.8	32.6	34.7	69.8	55.6	28.6	42.3	47.8	51.0	58.1	60.0	47.8	68.9
Reedy Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10801 Plaza Rd Ext	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6480	850	55	15.3	99.6%	59 (6.9%)	408 (48.0%)	269 (31.6%)	56 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (6.7%)	45.5	816^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.3%		41.9	882^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	40.8%	66	62.9	62.9	56.1				53.0	50.0	51.3				64.3		$9,604	$751	$8,853
Pitts School Road Elementary	Public	K-5	720 Pitts School Road SW	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6250	885	61	14.5	51.0%	331 (37.4%)	273 (30.8%)	129 (14.6%)	84 (9.5%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (7.1%)	69.5	427^th of 1492 public elementary schools	71.4%		75.8	308^th of 1490 public elementary schools	79.3%	119	69.7	69.1	72.9				56.4	64.8	61.9				81.3		$8,735	$586	$8,149
Rocky River Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5454 Rocky River Road	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(704) 260-6290	652	50	13.0	99.5%	133 (20.4%)	220 (33.7%)	245 (37.6%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.6%)	46.8	788^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.2%		55.2	650^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.4%	138	77.0	72.3	57.0				39.8	42.9	42.0				73.0		$9,867	$992	$8,875
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13501 Albemarle Rd	Charlotte	28227	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-6922	459	29	15.9	99.3%	90 (19.6%)	146 (31.8%)	177 (38.6%)	11 (2.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.8%)	55	653^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	56.2%		42.1	876^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.2%	223	75.7	54.4	59.0				63.5	51.9	55.1				70.5		$10,367	$653	$9,714
University Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Pavilion Blvd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-3685	737	38	19.1	99.6%	46 (6.2%)	418 (56.7%)	212 (28.8%)	32 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.7%)	34.7	1012^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.2%		21.3	1255^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.8%	243	59.6	42.9	54.3				49.0	45.6	38.3				73.4		$10,305	$1,460	$8,845
American Leadership Academy Charlotte	Public, Charter	K-8	8000 Robinson Church Road	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	ALA Charlotte	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 595-3012	277	17	16.2	94.6%	8 (2.9%)	207 (74.7%)	43 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (5.8%)	19	1293^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	13.3%		12.8	1381^st of 1490 public elementary schools	7.3%	88	62.5	35.1	42.4	28.6	25.6	26.1	22.5	54.1	39.4	39.3	39.5	34.8	34.4	43.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Hickory Ridge Elementary

What district is Hickory Ridge Elementary in?

Cabarrus County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Ridge Elementary?

Students at Hickory Ridge Elementary are 39% Asian, 31% White, 16% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Is Hickory Ridge Elementary a good school?

Yes! Hickory Ridge Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 51^st of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Hickory Ridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 927 students attended Hickory Ridge Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Hickory Ridge Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hickory Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hickory Ridge Middle
High : Hickory Ridge High

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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.