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Highland School of Technology

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

3^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 100% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Highland School of Technology is a public magnet high school in Gastonia, North Carolina, serving 528 students in grades 9-12. This exceptional school consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating its exceptional academic achievement.

Highland School of Technology's students significantly outperform the district and state averages on End-of-Course (EOC) exams. In the 2024-2025 school year, 99.9% of students were proficient or better in English II, compared to 52% for the Gaston County Schools district and 59.6% for the state. Similarly, 100% of students were proficient or better in Math I, compared to 38.9% for the district and 34.4% for the state. The school's exceptional performance extends across diverse student subgroups, ranking among the top in the state for female, male, African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students, as well as for gifted and talented students.

While Highland School of Technology stands out as a high-performing school, the nearby traditional public high schools in the Gaston County Schools district generally have lower academic performance, higher free and reduced-price lunch rates, and higher student-teacher ratios. This highlights the unique nature of Highland School of Technology as a magnet school within the district, providing a high-quality education and supporting its students' academic success.

538

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,033

Per pupil spending ?

34%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1600 N Morris Street
Gastonia, NC 28052

(704) 810-8816

District: Gaston County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.8%

African American:

15.1%

Hispanic:

13.9%

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Compare Highland School of Technology to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2012 → 100th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (100% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of North Carolina high schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Gaston County Schools

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school100%

District avg46%

North Carolina avg49%

3^rd of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	96.9	3 of 641	99.5%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	6 of 640	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	96.4	11 of 621	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	98.3	3 of 594	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	97.1	3 of 514	99.4%	★★★★★
2016	91.7	1 of 507	99.8%	★★★★★
2015	91.2	8 of 531	98.5%	★★★★★
2014	94.3	2 of 451	99.6%	★★★★★
2013	71.9	39 of 505	92.3%	★★★★★
2012	79.7	4 of 502	99.2%	★★★★★
2011	83.6	6 of 506	98.8%	★★★★★
2010	83.2	4 of 499	99.2%	★★★★★
2009	85.2	11 of 490	97.8%	★★★★★
2008	84.5	8 of 477	98.3%	★★★★★
2007	86.7	10 of 453	97.8%	★★★★★
2006	86.0	11 of 431	97.4%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	98.9	3 of 440	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	99.4	1 of 437	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	99.5	1 of 434	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.5	4 of 430	99.1%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	1 of 364	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	99.6	1 of 369	99.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	96.1	8 of 602	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	96.3	9 of 594	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	98.1	1 of 475	99.8%	★★★★★
2019	98.1	1 of 475	99.8%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	81.9	5 of 412	98.8%	★★★★★
2023	81.6	9 of 403	97.8%	★★★★★
2021	87.1	2 of 337	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	80.2	22 of 325	93.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	98.2	1 of 462	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.0	3 of 454	99.3%	★★★★★
2023	98.7	4 of 449	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	98.7	7 of 436	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	99.7	1 of 370	99.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	99.2	1 of 606	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	98.7	2 of 613	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	98.8	18 of 544	96.7%	★★★★★
2021	99.7	1 of 432	99.8%	★★★★★
2019	99.1	2 of 446	99.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	96.6	5 of 601	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	97.0	1 of 607	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	3 of 602	99.5%	★★★★★
2022	97.1	10 of 585	98.3%	★★★★★
2021	98.4	3 of 481	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	4 of 488	99.2%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	93.4	19 of 542	96.5%	★★★★★
2024	94.9	9 of 553	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	95.0	11 of 534	97.9%	★★★★★
2021	97.2	3 of 439	99.3%	★★★★★
2019	96.3	1 of 444	99.8%	★★★★★

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)100th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)100th percentile~ school

African American (2025)99th percentile~ school

Male (2025)99th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)99th percentile~ school

Female (2024)99th percentile~ school

White (2025)96th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math I100%+66 vs state

English II100%+40 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a student on FaceBook
Saturday, October 8, 2011

This is the best school that I have seen or went to in my life Close Quote

Schools Near Highland School of Technology

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
East Gaston High	Public	9-12	1744 Lane Road	Mount Holly	28120	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 836-9613	917	49	18.5	99.6%	563 (61.4%)	117 (12.8%)	181 (19.7%)	9 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.8%)	34.5	417^th of 641 public high schools	34.9%		53.1	281^st of 640 public high schools	56.1%	136	39.5	45.4	36.5	59.1				$10,078	$870	$9,208
Forestview High	Public	9-12	5545 Union Road	Gastonia	28056	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 861-2625	1,133	62	18.2	99.7%	515 (45.5%)	282 (24.9%)	247 (21.8%)	27 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	57 (5.0%)	41.1	369^th of 641 public high schools	42.4%		47.6	314^th of 640 public high schools	50.9%	55	43.7	57.0	37.0	58.5				$8,409	$693	$7,716

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland School of Technology

Is Highland School of Technology a good school?

Yes! Highland School of Technology is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 3^rd of 641 North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Highland School of Technology?

In the 2024-25 school year, 538 students attended Highland School of Technology.

What district is Highland School of Technology in?

Gaston County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Highland School of Technology?

Students at Highland School of Technology are 61% White, 15% African American, 14% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

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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.