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Sampson Middle

Q: Is Sampson Middle a good school?

Sampson Middle ranks 520 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

520^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 33% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Sampson Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Clinton, NC, serving 703 students and operating as part of Clinton City Schools, a small district that carries a 1-star overall rating. The school's own profile is stronger than that district-level picture: Sampson ranks 520th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools in 2025–26, putting it in the 33rd percentile statewide with a 2-star rating, in the lower half but far from the bottom.

Academically, Sampson scores below the state average in all seven tested grade/subject combinations, with the largest gaps in 8th-grade math (38.6% proficient versus 53.0% statewide) and 8th-grade science (51.4% versus 68.6%). Among nearby schools, Sampson sits squarely in the middle. It is clearly ahead of Roseboro-Salemburg Middle and Union Middle, but trails Midway Middle, which leads the local group at the 56th percentile. A standout comparison is 8th-grade science, where Midway posts 73.8% proficiency, more than 20 points higher than Sampson.

Sampson does have meaningful strengths to build on. It records the best local attendance, with 26.0% chronic absenteeism versus 28.5%–35.8% at neighboring county schools, and it has the most favorable student-teacher ratio in the group at 16.4:1. Its English Learner students rank at the 85th percentile statewide, a clear success story. However, the school has slipped from its pre-pandemic position as a 60th-percentile, 3-star school, and its effectiveness with Gifted and Talented and Special Education students has declined. The most pressing academic concerns remain 8th-grade math and science, even as recent data shows promising year-over-year improvement in 8th-grade reading and science.

703

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

1201 W Elizabeth St
Clinton, NC 28328-4822

(910) 592-3327

District: Clinton City Schools

Students who attend Sampson Middle usually attend:

High:

Clinton High

Feeder schools for Sampson Middle:

Elementary:	Butler Avenue Elementary
	Langdon C Kerr Elementary
	Sunset Avenue Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.5%

African American:

32.9%

White:

17.4%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Sampson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (48% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg48%

North Carolina avg58%

520^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

197^th of 246Clinton City 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	34.2	520 of 778	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.9	527 of 773	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.8	518 of 793	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	433 of 784	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.0	322 of 786	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.9	296 of 741	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.0	505 of 737	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.7	409 of 691	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.6	375 of 694	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	56.4	302 of 692	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.3	219 of 705	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	42.1	364 of 627	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.2	335 of 673	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.8	395 of 662	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.0	373 of 648	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.4	385 of 640	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.9	423 of 630	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	37.2	435 of 620	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	47.6	379 of 606	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	42.5	406 of 598	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.9	328 of 553	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.2	347 of 546	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	370 of 560	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.5	227 of 559	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.3	125 of 550	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	56.3	161 of 533	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	34.7	366 of 519	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.4	258 of 494	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	38.6	244 of 449	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.9	196 of 478	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.7	236 of 504	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	85 of 475	82.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.5	56 of 363	84.6%	★★★★☆
2025	47.8	153 of 371	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.5	261 of 356	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.6	197 of 318	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.1	71 of 312	77.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	23 of 236	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	74.1	22 of 211	89.6%	★★★★★
2018	49.6	46 of 151	69.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	530 of 731	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.0	516 of 733	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.6	519 of 738	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	414 of 731	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.6	283 of 733	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.2	290 of 706	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.0	488 of 684	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.9	405 of 656	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	391 of 465	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.1	392 of 458	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	66.9	121 of 461	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	65.4	146 of 452	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.4	161 of 450	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.6	167 of 448	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.8	353 of 416	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.7	260 of 566	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.7	272 of 562	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	243 of 564	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	291 of 553	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.4	125 of 541	76.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.1	104 of 522	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	46.2	265 of 493	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.0	192 of 472	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	434 of 725	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.2	487 of 729	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.4	368 of 743	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	309 of 735	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.5	184 of 689	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	218 of 633	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.5	413 of 639	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	378 of 604	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	473 of 736	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	504 of 733	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.1	454 of 751	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.8	447 of 747	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.7	323 of 748	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	296 of 711	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.4	494 of 697	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.6	417 of 665	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	10.1	319 of 328	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	40.7	187 of 302	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.6	104 of 283	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.0	131 of 248	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.2	147 of 237	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	374 of 500	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.6	344 of 478	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	382 of 644	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.2	266 of 649	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.2	271 of 652	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.0	137 of 656	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	152 of 658	76.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.1	95 of 632	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	61.2	235 of 624	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.0	238 of 596	60.1%	★★★☆☆

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)85th percentile+51 vs school

Hispanic (2026)54th percentile+21 vs school

Disabled (2022)46th percentile-13 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)36th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)27th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)25th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)16th percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)3rd percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science51%-17 vs state

Reading48%-7 vs state

Mathematics47%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sampson 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/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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th 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
Sampson Middle	Public	6-8	1201 W Elizabeth St	Clinton	28328	Sampson County	Clinton City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 592-3327	703	43	16.4	—	122 (17.4%)	231 (32.9%)	299 (42.5%)	5 (0.7%)	20 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.7%)	34.2	520^th of 778 public middle schools	33.2%		31.9	527^th of 773 public middle schools	31.8%	7	51.9	52.5	38.6	49.1	48.9	47.6	51.4	$8,860	$1,272	$7,588
Union Middle	Public	6-8	455 River Road	Clinton	28328	Sampson County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 592-4547	374	21	18.1	—	67 (17.9%)	67 (17.9%)	228 (61.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.4%)	11.9	707^th of 778 public middle schools	9.1%		21.9	619^th of 773 public middle schools	19.9%	88	42.1	26.6	7.0	29.8	34.4	41.2	47.4	$9,309	$1,820	$7,489
Roseboro-Salemburg Middle	Public	6-8	305 West Pleasant Street	Roseboro	28382	Sampson County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 525-4764	394	18	21.8	—	128 (32.5%)	107 (27.2%)	133 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.8%)	21.9	638^th of 778 public middle schools	18.0%		18.3	654^th of 773 public middle schools	15.4%	16	40.9	39.1	34.3	38.2	45.6	41.4	53.6	$9,500	$1,365	$8,135
Hobbton Middle	Public	6-8	12081 Hobbton Hwy	Newton Grove	28366	Sampson County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 594-1420	428	24	18.0	—	107 (25.0%)	48 (11.2%)	250 (58.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.0%)	42.2	461^st of 778 public middle schools	40.7%		41.7	460^th of 773 public middle schools	40.5%	1	62.4	46.2	41.1	57.1	48.3	42.6	68.1	$9,725	$1,805	$7,920
Midway Middle	Public	6-8	1115 Roberts Grove Road	Dunn	28334	Harnett County	Sampson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 567-5879	584	32	18.3	97.1%	267 (45.7%)	61 (10.4%)	222 (38.0%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)	55.8	342^nd of 778 public middle schools	56.0%		52.4	362^nd of 773 public middle schools	53.2%	20	60.0	60.4	49.2	57.4	57.9	51.8	73.8	$8,346	$943	$7,403

Frequently Asked Questions about Sampson Middle

What high school do graduates of Sampson Middle attend?

Students who attend Sampson Middle usually go on to attend Clinton High

How many students attend Sampson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 703 students attended Sampson Middle.

What district is Sampson Middle in?

Clinton City Schools

What is the racial makeup of Sampson Middle?

Students at Sampson Middle are 43% Hispanic, 33% African American, 17% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

Is Sampson Middle a good school?

Sampson Middle ranks 520^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Sampson Middle!

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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.