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

Bessemer City High

Public Grades 9-12

554^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 14% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Bessemer City High is a public high school located in Bessemer City, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 548 students. The school is part of the Gaston County Schools district, which is ranked 149 out of 242 school districts in North Carolina and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Bessemer City High consistently ranks in the bottom half of North Carolina high schools, with proficiency rates on End-of-Course (EOC) exams significantly below the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates were 26.6% in Biology, 34.3% in English II, 16.7% in Math I, and 46.2% in Math III, compared to the state averages of 48.3%, 59.6%, 34.4%, and 66.4%, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 80.1% to 88.8% over the past few years, slightly below the state and district averages.

While Bessemer City High performs better than the lowest-performing school in the district, Warlick Academy, it lags behind the higher-performing schools in the area, such as Forestview High, Ashbrook High, and Cherryville High. The district also includes two high-performing magnet schools, Highland School of Technology and Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, which significantly outperform Bessemer City High on academic measures.

590

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,616

Per pupil spending ?

99.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

119 Yellow Jacket Lane
Bessemer City, NC 28016

(704) 836-9601

District: Gaston County Schools

Feeder schools for Bessemer City High:

Elementary:	Bessemer City Central Elementary
	Bessemer City Primary
	Edward D Sadler Junior Elementary School
Middle:	Bessemer City Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.9%

African American:

25.1%

Hispanic:

24.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Bessemer City High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (31% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (80% vs 88%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg48%

North Carolina avg53%

554^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 11High Schools in the Gaston County Schools

149^th of 242Gaston 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
2025	15.9	554 of 641	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	491 of 640	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.2	416 of 626	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.9	506 of 621	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.5	443 of 594	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	455 of 514	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	389 of 469	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.3	373 of 476	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.9	275 of 507	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.0	355 of 531	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	21.2	347 of 451	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.3	393 of 505	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.7	411 of 502	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.8	392 of 506	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.6	420 of 499	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.1	397 of 490	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	21.3	400 of 477	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.1	379 of 453	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	31.5	340 of 431	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	369 of 440	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	317 of 437	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.2	180 of 434	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.7	307 of 430	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.5	188 of 364	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	12.0	352 of 369	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	323 of 359	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	24.9	261 of 330	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.7	257 of 334	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	329 of 364	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	39.2	158 of 273	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.3	134 of 262	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	517 of 610	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	449 of 602	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	386 of 588	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.9	498 of 594	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.6	383 of 475	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	455 of 475	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	372 of 449	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	15.2	433 of 462	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	257 of 454	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	212 of 449	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.1	272 of 436	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.7	283 of 370	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	307 of 354	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	229 of 340	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	521 of 606	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.5	440 of 613	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.4	307 of 597	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	450 of 544	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.7	240 of 432	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	14.1	408 of 446	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	346 of 424	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	13.3	549 of 601	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	494 of 607	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	434 of 602	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	472 of 585	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.3	285 of 481	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.4	437 of 488	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.2	416 of 463	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	150 of 352	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	21.5	314 of 349	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	12.1	504 of 542	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	487 of 553	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	442 of 537	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	496 of 534	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	354 of 439	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.4	425 of 444	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.3	405 of 427	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)57th percentile+44 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)42nd percentile+29 vs school

Disabled (2022)21st percentile~ school

African American (2025)16th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)15th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)9th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)7th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)6th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III46%-20 vs state

English II34%-25 vs state

Biology27%-22 vs state

Math I17%-18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Bessemer City 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 Bessemer City High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Reading (2025)		EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bessemer City High	Public	9-12	119 Yellow Jacket Lane	Bessemer City	28016	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9601	590	32	18.5	99.5%	259 (43.9%)	148 (25.1%)	144 (24.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.9%)	15.9	554^th of 641 public high schools	13.6%		23.9	491^st of 640 public high schools	23.3%	63	26.6	34.3	16.7	46.2				$9,616	$754	$8,862
Gaston Early College High School	Public	9-12	201 Hwy 321 South	Dallas	28034	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 922-2405	235	11	21.8	42.6%	131 (55.7%)	32 (13.6%)	48 (20.4%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.2%)	95.4	19^th of 641 public high schools	97.0%					(n/a)		100.0	100.0	100.0				$7,351	$466	$6,886
Highland School of Technology	Public, Magnet	9-12	1600 N Morris Street	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 810-8816	538	39	13.8	34.0%	327 (60.8%)	81 (15.1%)	75 (13.9%)	31 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.3%)	96.9	3^rd of 641 public high schools	99.5%		96.6	6^th of 640 public high schools	99.1%	3		99.9	100.0					$10,033	$715	$9,318
Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences	Public	9-12	300 Rhodes Perimeter Drive	Dallas	28034	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 923-8480	174	8	21.8	54.6%	88 (50.6%)	33 (19.0%)	31 (17.8%)	10 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.9%)	96.4	5^th of 641 public high schools	99.2%		95.5	23^rd of 640 public high schools	96.4%	18	98.1	100.0	99.9	100.0
Hunter Huss High	Public	9-12	1518 Edgefield Avenue	Gastonia	28052	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 866-6610	1,165	62	18.9	99.7%	214 (18.4%)	488 (41.9%)	403 (34.6%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (4.3%)	15.1	560^th of 641 public high schools	12.6%		17.8	532^nd of 640 public high schools	16.9%	28	19.6	23.6	30.4	40.9				$9,702	$791	$8,910
North Gaston High	Public	9-12	1133 Ratchford Road	Dallas	28034	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 922-5285	1,061	62	17.2	99.7%	468 (44.1%)	286 (27.0%)	226 (21.3%)	12 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	63 (5.9%)	22.8	508^th of 641 public high schools	20.7%		32.5	424^th of 640 public high schools	33.8%	84	29.3	43.9	24.5	49.8				$8,686	$748	$7,938
Kings Mountain High	Public	9-12	500 Phifer Road	Kings Mountain	28086	Cleveland County	Cleveland County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 476-8330	1,305	72	18.1	98.8%	771 (59.1%)	297 (22.8%)	119 (9.1%)	17 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	98 (7.5%)	52.3	278^th of 641 public high schools	56.6%		50.8	291^st of 640 public high schools	54.5%	13	50.7	52.5	39.1	81.2				$9,036	$654	$8,382
Warlick Academy	Public	6-12	1316 Spencer Mountain Road	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 836-9608	175	16	10.9	98.3%	49 (28.0%)	95 (54.3%)	15 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (9.1%)								(n/a)		7.7			20.0	11.5	7.7	$18,894	$2,248	$16,646
Cherryville High	Public	9-12	313 Ridge Avenue	Cherryville	28021	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9605	484	33	14.6	99.4%	349 (72.1%)	56 (11.6%)	60 (12.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	46	330^th of 641 public high schools	48.5%		44.7	337^th of 640 public high schools	47.3%	7	42.5	53.1	39.8	72.6				$10,928	$967	$9,961
Ashbrook High	Public	9-12	2222 S New Hope Road	Gastonia	28054	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 866-6600	1,386	77	17.9	99.8%	247 (17.8%)	625 (45.1%)	409 (29.5%)	25 (1.8%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	76 (5.5%)	18.1	537^th of 641 public high schools	16.2%		15.5	550^th of 640 public high schools	14.1%	13	26.3	39.3	25.8	39.6				$8,726	$738	$7,988

Frequently Asked Questions about Bessemer City High

What schools feed into Bessemer City High?

Bessemer City High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bessemer City Central Elementary
Elementary : Bessemer City Primary
Elementary : Edward D Sadler Junior Elementary School
Middle : Bessemer City Middle

Is Bessemer City High a good school?

Bessemer City High ranks in the bottom 13.6% of North Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Bessemer City High?

Students at Bessemer City High are 44% White, 25% African American, 24% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Bessemer City High in?

Gaston County Schools

How many students attend Bessemer City High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 590 students attended Bessemer City High.

Rate Bessemer City High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Bessemer City, NC

Sign up for updates!

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

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.