Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Murphy High

Q: Is Murphy High a good school?

Murphy High ranks 371 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

371^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 44% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Murphy High is a traditional public high school in the small mountain town of Murphy, North Carolina, serving 424 students in grades 9–12 as the largest high school within Cherokee County Schools. The school serves an extremely economically disadvantaged population, with over 99% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In 2025–2026, the school ranked 371st out of 662 North Carolina high schools, landing in the 44th percentile with a 2-star rating. That marks a decline from the 56th percentile in each of the prior two years and the 62nd percentile in 2022–2023.

Despite that average overall showing, the school has real strengths, especially in math. In 2025–2026, 45.7% of students scored proficient on the Math I exam, beating the state's 42.1%; and 68.2% passed Math III, matching the state's 68.9%. Graduation rates are strong as well, with 94.9% in 2022–2023 compared to 86.5% statewide. The school outranks Andrews High and Hiwassee Dam High, the other two traditional high schools within the county, and essentially ties Hayesville High across the county line. Tri-County Early College High, located just 3.7 miles away, posts dramatically stronger results, however, with 90.5% Biology proficiency versus the school's 47.1%.

The school's biggest challenges are chronic absenteeism and science achievement. In 2024–2025, 47.3% of students were chronically absent — nearly double the statewide figure of 24.2% and far higher than at Andrews High and Hiwassee Dam High, which reported rates around 26%. Biology proficiency sat at 47.1% in 2025–2026 versus 58.5% statewide. The student–teacher ratio has also climbed from 14.1 to 20.8 in just two years, and results for special education students plunged from the 59th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 9th percentile in 2025–2026. For parents considering Murphy High, solid math instruction and strong graduation outcomes are clear positives, but attendance, science, and special education support deserve close attention.

424

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

234 High School Circle
Murphy, NC 28906-2516

(828) 837-2426

District: Cherokee County Schools

Feeder schools for Murphy High:

Elementary:	Martins Creek Elementary
	Murphy Elementary
	Peachtree Elementary
Middle:	Murphy Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.2%

Hispanic:

8.5%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Murphy High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 47th percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (86%)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 24% North Carolina)

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

!Biology scores 11 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg56%

North Carolina avg60%

371^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

122^nd of 246Cherokee 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	44.6	371 of 662	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.2	285 of 641	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	279 of 640	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	240 of 626	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	287 of 621	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	312 of 594	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	311 of 514	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.5	184 of 469	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	22.0	365 of 476	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.7	269 of 507	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.2	310 of 531	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	65.2	91 of 451	79.8%	★★★★☆
2013	58.9	82 of 505	83.8%	★★★★☆
2012	71.4	63 of 502	87.5%	★★★★☆
2011	63.7	140 of 506	72.3%	★★★★☆
2010	61.4	178 of 499	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.2	133 of 490	72.9%	★★★★☆
2008	59.6	153 of 477	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.3	108 of 453	76.2%	★★★★☆
2006	70.1	70 of 431	83.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	47.5	126 of 330	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.5	33 of 334	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	43.5	183 of 364	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	69 of 349	80.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	313 of 629	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.5	327 of 610	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.0	275 of 602	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.4	205 of 588	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.1	310 of 594	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.9	201 of 475	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.2	286 of 475	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.1	181 of 449	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	80.2	35 of 412	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	54.4	241 of 403	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	77.3	74 of 403	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	62.7	170 of 398	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.2	81 of 337	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.3	163 of 325	49.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	246 of 462	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	268 of 449	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.8	313 of 620	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.8	200 of 606	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.1	202 of 613	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.3	167 of 597	72.0%	★★★★☆
2022	51.3	216 of 544	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.1	117 of 432	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	36.6	238 of 446	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.8	86 of 424	79.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	393 of 624	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.7	251 of 601	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	260 of 607	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.5	256 of 602	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.6	255 of 585	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.6	242 of 481	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.5	322 of 488	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.8	218 of 463	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.6	337 of 372	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.3	281 of 352	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.8	142 of 349	59.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.9	421 of 551	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.8	367 of 542	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	316 of 553	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	286 of 537	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.3	352 of 534	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.9	313 of 439	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.6	367 of 444	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	304 of 427	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2025)92nd percentile+36 vs school

Disabled (2022)62nd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)47th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)37th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)24th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)9th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III68%~ state avg

English II66%~ state avg

Biology47%-11 vs state

Math I46%+4 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Murphy High and help other families decide.

Rate Murphy High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Murphy High

Load more schools when map is moved

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Murphy High	Public	9-12	234 High School Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-2426	424	20	20.8	—	340 (80.2%)	13 (3.1%)	36 (8.5%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.9%)	44.6	371^st of 662 public high schools	44.0%		51.2	285^th of 641 public high schools	55.5%	86	47.1	66.0	45.7	68.2	$10,724	$1,248	$9,476
The Oaks Academy	Public	6-12	4700 East US 64 Alternate	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-6775	43	6	7.4	79.1%	39 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)								(n/a)	23.1		536.4		$16,426	$280	$16,146
Tri-County Early College High	Public	9-12	4700 East US 64 Alternate	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-6775	153	8	18.5	96.1%	112 (73.2%)	4 (2.6%)	24 (15.7%)	4 (2.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.2%)	70.5	186^th of 662 public high schools	71.9%		83.6	117^th of 641 public high schools	81.7%	69	90.5	85.0	50.0	60.0	$7,830	$280	$7,549
Hiwassee Dam High	Public	9-12	267 Blue Eagle Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 644-5115	137	9	15.9	97.8%	127 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.4%)	34.3	445^th of 662 public high schools	32.8%		33	424^th of 641 public high schools	33.9%	21	38.9	55.0	48.3	63.2	$12,078	$452	$11,625
Hayesville High	Public	9-12	205 Yellow Jacket Drive	Hayesville	28904	Clay County	Clay County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 389-6532	366	28	13.0	—	310 (84.7%)	2 (0.5%)	39 (10.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.5%)	45.8	362^nd of 662 public high schools	45.3%		57.9	245^th of 641 public high schools	61.8%	117	59.3	60.7	22.7	74.4	$14,651	$1,180	$13,471
Andrews High	Public	9-12	50 High School Drive	Andrews	28901	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 321-5415	229	10	24.0	97.8%	185 (80.8%)	2 (0.9%)	26 (11.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.6%)	34.3	444^th of 662 public high schools	32.9%		30.3	443^rd of 641 public high schools	30.9%	1	53.8	62.7	38.8	45.8	$14,037	$1,030	$13,007

Frequently Asked Questions about Murphy High

What schools feed into Murphy High?

Murphy High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Martins Creek Elementary
Elementary : Murphy Elementary
Elementary : Peachtree Elementary
Middle : Murphy Middle

What district is Murphy High in?

Cherokee County Schools

How many students attend Murphy High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 424 students attended Murphy High.

Is Murphy High a good school?

Murphy High ranks 371^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Murphy High?

Students at Murphy High are 80% White, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

Rate Murphy High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Murphy, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Murphy High!

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.