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Gaston Early College High School

Public Grades 9-12

19^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 97% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Gaston Early College High School is a public high school in Dallas, North Carolina, serving 234 students in grades 9-12. Despite being part of the Gaston County Schools district, which is ranked 149 out of 242 districts in the state, Gaston Early College High School stands out as an exceptional institution.

The school consistently ranks among the top high schools in North Carolina, earning a statewide ranking of 1 out of 626 schools in 2022-2023 and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. This academic excellence is reflected in the school's exceptional test scores, with 100% proficiency in EOC (End-of-Course) exams for English II, Math I, and Math III in the 2024-2025 school year, far surpassing the Gaston County Schools and North Carolina state averages. Gaston Early College High School also boasts consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 86.5% to 88.8% over the past few years, outperforming the surrounding Stuart W Cramer High, Forestview High, Ashbrook High, East Gaston High, Hunter Huss High, Bessemer City High, Warlick Academy, and North Gaston High schools.

Interestingly, Gaston Early College High School is located just 0.13 miles away from Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, another high-performing school in the Gaston County district, suggesting potential collaboration and resource-sharing opportunities between the two institutions. Additionally, the school serves a diverse student population, with 39.32% to 40.87% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in recent years, demonstrating its ability to provide a high-quality education to students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

235

Students ?

21.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,351

Per pupil spending ?

42.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 Hwy 321 South
Dallas, NC 28034

(704) 922-2405

District: Gaston County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.7%

Hispanic:

20.4%

African American:

13.6%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 98th percentile in 2021 → 97th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (100% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 3% of North Carolina high schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Gaston County Schools

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school100%

District avg50%

North Carolina avg55%

19^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 3%▼ down 1 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	95.4	19 of 641	97.0%	★★★★★
2023	96.8	1 of 626	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	97.1	5 of 621	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	97.6	10 of 594	98.3%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	99.4	6 of 430	98.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	95.1	12 of 610	98.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.3	6 of 602	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	96.5	3 of 588	99.5%	★★★★★
2022	95.6	12 of 594	98.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	80.2	36 of 412	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	78.8	20 of 403	95.0%	★★★★★
2023	81.3	27 of 403	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	67.8	128 of 398	67.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	97.9	5 of 462	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	98.7	6 of 449	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	98.4	12 of 436	97.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	97.8	6 of 606	99.0%	★★★★★
2024	98.8	1 of 613	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	98.5	5 of 597	99.2%	★★★★★
2022	99.1	8 of 544	98.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	95.4	22 of 601	96.3%	★★★★★
2024	96.9	2 of 607	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	96.6	12 of 602	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	97.7	3 of 585	99.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	93.4	20 of 542	96.3%	★★★★★
2024	95.0	5 of 553	99.1%	★★★★★
2023	95.6	2 of 537	99.6%	★★★★★
2022	93.7	27 of 534	94.9%	★★★★★

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)99th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)99th percentile~ school

African American (2022)99th percentile~ school

Female (2025)98th percentile~ school

Male (2025)96th percentile~ school

White (2025)96th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)91st percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English II100%+40 vs state

Math I100%+66 vs state

Math III100%+34 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gaston Early College High School

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Stuart W Cramer High	Public	9-12	101 Lakewood Rd	Belmont	28012	Gaston County	Gaston County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 866-5700	953	53	17.8	99.7%	522 (54.8%)	193 (20.3%)	150 (15.7%)	27 (2.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	57 (6.0%)	45.2	337^th of 641 public high schools	47.4%		47.7	313^th of 640 public high schools	51.1%	24	38.3	63.6	49.7	54.8				$8,748	$608	$8,139

Frequently Asked Questions about Gaston Early College High School

Is Gaston Early College High School a good school?

Yes! Gaston Early College High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 19^th of 641 North Carolina high schools.

What district is Gaston Early College High School in?

Gaston County Schools

How many students attend Gaston Early College High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended Gaston Early College High School.

What is the racial makeup of Gaston Early College High School?

Students at Gaston Early College High School are 56% White, 20% Hispanic, 14% African American, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.