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South Caldwell High

Q: Is South Caldwell High a good school?

South Caldwell High ranks 398 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend South Caldwell High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,272 students attended South Caldwell High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of South Caldwell High?

Students at South Caldwell High are 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Q: What schools feed into South Caldwell High?

South Caldwell High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Baton Elementary Elementary : Granite Falls Elementary Elementary : Hudson Elementary Elementary : Sawmills Elementary Middle : Granite Falls Middle Middle : Hudson Middle

Public Grades 9-12

398^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 40% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

South Caldwell High is a large public high school in Hudson, North Carolina, serving roughly 1,272 students in grades 9-12 as part of Caldwell County Schools. The school recently slipped to a 2-star rating, ranking 398th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (40th percentile) in 2025-2026, after spending several years at a 3-star level. Like the other traditional high schools in the area, South Caldwell serves a very high-need population, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, South Caldwell shows a clear subject-area split. The school's strongest metric is Math III, where 74.5% of students scored proficient in 2025-2026, beating both the district (66.2%) and state (68.9%) averages. Upper-level math has been a consistent strength for several years. English II results (62%) are close to state averages, but Biology (49%) trails the state notably. The biggest concern is Math I: only 30% of students scored proficient, well below the 42.1% statewide rate and far behind nearby East Burke High (49%) and Draughn High School (77.9%). This suggests many students arrive underprepared for algebra-level coursework and never reach the stronger upper-level math track.

South Caldwell's graduation rate has improved to 84.6%, but still trails the state average of 88.8% and the rates posted by nearby Burke County schools like Draughn (93.1%) and East Burke (90.4%). Chronic absenteeism is the most urgent school-wide issue, affecting 32.5% of students versus 24.2% statewide, with only West Caldwell High (36%) higher among nearby traditional schools. On a more positive note, English Learner students are a genuine bright spot, ranking at the 80th percentile statewide. However, special education outcomes dropped sharply to the 8th percentile in 2025-2026, a decline that deserves attention. In comparison with nearby comprehensive high schools — including Hibriten High and Hickory High — South Caldwell lands in the middle of the pack, with clear room for improvement if it can address attendance, strengthen the Math I transition, and stabilize special education supports.

1,272

Students ?

19.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,486

Per pupil spending ?

99.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7035 Spartan Drive
Hudson, NC 28638-9540

(828) 396-2188

District: Caldwell County Schools

Feeder schools for South Caldwell High:

Elementary:	Baton Elementary
	Granite Falls Elementary
	Hudson Elementary
	Sawmills Elementary
Middle:	Granite Falls Middle
	Hudson Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.0%

Hispanic:

11.9%

Two or more races:

4.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare South Caldwell High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (54% vs 60% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 24% North Carolina)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg60%

398^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Caldwell County Schools

162^nd of 246Caldwell 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	40.5	398 of 662	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.0	288 of 641	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.9	318 of 640	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.1	270 of 626	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.6	365 of 621	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.2	293 of 594	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.9	195 of 514	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.8	219 of 469	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.3	155 of 476	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.6	174 of 507	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.7	219 of 531	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.4	166 of 451	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	43.1	205 of 505	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.2	139 of 502	72.3%	★★★★☆
2011	71.9	73 of 506	85.6%	★★★★☆
2010	69.8	80 of 499	84.0%	★★★★☆
2009	69.4	76 of 490	84.5%	★★★★☆
2008	67.3	90 of 477	81.1%	★★★★☆
2007	60.6	134 of 453	70.4%	★★★★☆
2006	63.7	126 of 431	70.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	36.0	187 of 330	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.7	114 of 334	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.6	82 of 364	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	40.8	179 of 349	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	57 of 289	80.3%	★★★★☆
2025	34.8	176 of 273	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.5	55 of 262	79.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.1	414 of 629	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.7	273 of 610	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.8	285 of 602	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.9	287 of 588	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.4	395 of 594	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	216 of 475	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.4	227 of 475	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	249 of 449	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.4	193 of 407	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.1	286 of 412	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.8	228 of 403	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.3	193 of 403	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	282 of 398	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.1	175 of 337	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	157 of 325	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	195 of 474	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.9	244 of 462	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.7	145 of 454	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	120 of 449	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	19.7	382 of 436	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	315 of 370	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.0	238 of 354	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.1	273 of 340	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	348 of 620	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.7	221 of 606	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	285 of 613	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.4	246 of 597	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.2	288 of 544	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.1	167 of 432	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	143 of 446	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	150 of 424	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	376 of 624	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.4	290 of 601	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.0	343 of 607	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.8	255 of 602	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.6	320 of 585	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.4	189 of 481	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.1	181 of 488	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.6	220 of 463	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.1	247 of 265	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	57.2	100 of 253	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.7	206 of 261	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.2	113 of 249	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.8	193 of 226	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	148 of 199	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.3	342 of 372	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	39.5	195 of 352	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.6	156 of 349	55.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.3	447 of 551	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.6	350 of 542	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	400 of 553	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.5	344 of 537	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.1	415 of 534	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.3	245 of 439	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.9	280 of 444	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.0	314 of 427	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)80th percentile+40 vs school

Hispanic (2026)59th percentile+19 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)53rd percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+4 vs school

Disabled (2022)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)40th percentile~ school

Female (2026)34th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)19th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-32 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)7th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III74%+6 vs state

English II62%-3 vs state

Biology49%-10 vs state

Math I30%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Caldwell 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/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 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
South Caldwell High	Public	9-12	7035 Spartan Drive	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 396-2188	1,272	67	19.0	99.1%	1,030 (81.0%)	25 (2.0%)	151 (11.9%)	7 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (4.6%)	40.5	398^th of 662 public high schools	39.9%		51	288^th of 641 public high schools	55.1%	110	49.0	62.0	30.0	74.5						$9,486	$729	$8,757
Caldwell Early College	Public	9-12	2859 Hickory Blvd SW	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4636	387	16	24.9	39.0%	285 (73.6%)	8 (2.1%)	68 (17.6%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)	85.6	102^nd of 662 public high schools	84.6%		87.2	95^th of 641 public high schools	85.2%	7	94.9	96.3	60.3	89.4						$7,027	$517	$6,510
Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy	Public	9-12	2857 Hickory Boulevard	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4640	218	10	21.1	33.9%	173 (79.4%)	4 (1.8%)	25 (11.5%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.5%)	80.6	137^th of 662 public high schools	79.3%		84.4	113^th of 641 public high schools	82.4%	24	80.0	90.0	70.7	82.0						$8,388	$210	$8,178
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)			11.1	541.5	9.1	< 5%	45.5	10.5	26.3	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
Draughn High School	Public	9-12	709 Lovelady Road NE	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 879-4200	661	24	27.3	98.2%	495 (74.9%)	13 (2.0%)	69 (10.4%)	43 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	36 (5.4%)	68.2	201^st of 662 public high schools	69.6%		59	235^th of 641 public high schools	63.3%	34	62.7	66.3	77.9	85.1						$9,112	$776	$8,336
East Burke High	Public	9-12	3695 East Burke Boulevard	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-5541	874	38	23.1	99.4%	655 (74.9%)	16 (1.8%)	86 (9.8%)	71 (8.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (5.0%)	44.1	377^th of 662 public high schools	43.1%		56.3	254^th of 641 public high schools	60.4%	123	52.1	62.7	49.0	62.5						$9,240	$806	$8,435
Hibriten High	Public	9-12	1350 Panther Trail SE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-7376	818	39	21.0	98.7%	538 (65.8%)	71 (8.7%)	147 (18.0%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (6.5%)	41.2	395^th of 662 public high schools	40.3%		39	383^rd of 641 public high schools	40.2%	12	50.0	55.9	42.5	71.9						$10,067	$942	$9,125
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%)	28.5	487^th of 662 public high schools	26.4%		26.1	486^th of 641 public high schools	24.2%	1	45.0	54.6	30.8	56.0						$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%)	53.3	300^th of 662 public high schools	54.7%		56.6	253^rd of 641 public high schools	60.5%	47	60.0	64.9	38.6	83.3						$15,342	$1,043	$14,299
West Caldwell High	Public	9-12	300 W Caldwell Drive	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-5583	634	36	17.7	98.7%	364 (57.4%)	63 (9.9%)	147 (23.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (8.5%)	14.8	584^th of 662 public high schools	11.8%		17.6	542^nd of 641 public high schools	15.4%	42	34.4	50.0	21.5	28.8						$11,229	$831	$10,398

Frequently Asked Questions about South Caldwell High

What district is South Caldwell High in?

Caldwell County Schools

What is the racial makeup of South Caldwell High?

Students at South Caldwell High are 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools feed into South Caldwell High?

South Caldwell High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Baton Elementary
Elementary : Granite Falls Elementary
Elementary : Hudson Elementary
Elementary : Sawmills Elementary
Middle : Granite Falls Middle
Middle : Hudson Middle

Is South Caldwell High a good school?

South Caldwell High ranks 398^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Caldwell High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,272 students attended South Caldwell High.

Rate South Caldwell High!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 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.