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

Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School

Q: Is Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School a good school?

Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School ranks 300 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 201 students attended Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School?

Students at Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School are 53% White, 22% Hispanic, 11% African American, 10% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Public Grades 9-12

300^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 55% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School is a small public magnet high school in Hickory, NC, serving 201 students in grades 9–12 within the Hickory City Schools district. Despite a very high-poverty student body — 98.5% qualify for free/reduced-price lunch — the school stands out as a strong performer in a district ranked in the lower third of North Carolina. In 2025–2026, it ranked 300th out of 662 high schools statewide (55th percentile, 3 stars), well above its district's 33rd percentile and far ahead of nearby Hickory High (26th percentile). Its combination of small size, a 15.2 student–teacher ratio, and $15,342 per-pupil spending offers a more individualized environment than most neighboring comprehensive high schools.

Academically, Hickory Career Arts Magnet outpaces Hickory High in every major measure. In 2025–2026, English II proficiency reached 64.9% (vs. 54.6% at Hickory High), Math III reached 83.3% (vs. 56.0%), Biology reached 60% (vs. 45%), and Math I reached 38.6% (vs. 30.8%). The school's 92.2% graduation rate tops both its district (88.0%) and the state (88.8%). Chronic absenteeism, though rising from 15.6% to 23.5% since 2021–2022, still remains below district and state averages. Families should note, however, that this is not an elite early-college magnet: nearby Challenger Early College High (97th percentile) and Caldwell Early College (85th percentile) post considerably stronger results, though they serve far fewer low-income students.

The school shows particular strength in serving historically underserved populations. Hispanic students have ranked between the 74th and 84th percentile statewide over the past three years, and economically disadvantaged students between the 67th and 76th percentile — a meaningful achievement given that nearly all students come from low-income households. Math results reveal an area for attention: Math III proficiency dramatically exceeds Math I, suggesting that students who persist on the advanced math track excel, but many incoming students arrive needing extra support in foundational Algebra. After peaking at the 77th percentile in 2022–2023, the school has settled into a solidly above-average range, still far stronger than its pre-pandemic levels.

201

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,342

Per pupil spending ?

98.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

409 8th Avenue NE
Hickory, NC 28601-3943

(828) 328-6738

District: Hickory City Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.2%

Hispanic:

22.4%

African American:

10.9%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 77th percentile in 2023 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Above the North Carolina median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 77th-percentile peak (2023) to 55th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school62%

District avg50%

North Carolina avg60%

300^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Hickory City Schools

164^th of 246Hickory 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2015	1.8	700 of 705	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	11.9	609 of 673	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	0.2	644 of 648	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.5	627 of 640	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.3	629 of 630	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.4	601 of 620	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	4.8	583 of 606	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.2	592 of 598	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.3	300 of 662	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.6	253 of 641	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.7	224 of 640	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.2	143 of 626	77.2%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	160 of 621	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	66.3	178 of 594	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	43.9	257 of 514	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.8	279 of 469	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.1	195 of 476	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	28.9	320 of 507	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	18.2	415 of 531	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	10.7	402 of 451	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	9.9	452 of 505	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	8.7	452 of 502	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	4.6	470 of 506	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.9	492 of 499	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	1.3	479 of 490	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	0.7	469 of 477	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.6	449 of 453	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	9.1	399 of 431	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	36.8	246 of 434	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.7	131 of 369	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	19.2	314 of 359	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	330 of 629	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.7	272 of 610	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.2	256 of 602	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.4	129 of 588	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	149 of 594	74.9%	★★★★☆
2021	59.9	131 of 475	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	29.3	339 of 475	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	339 of 449	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	60.2	181 of 403	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.8	125 of 474	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	84.7	78 of 462	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	85.3	71 of 454	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	58 of 449	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	89.8	56 of 436	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	92.8	13 of 370	96.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	206 of 620	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.6	171 of 606	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	147 of 613	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	112 of 597	81.2%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	89 of 544	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	62.5	59 of 432	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	52.1	125 of 446	72.0%	★★★★☆
2018	58.8	99 of 424	76.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	262 of 624	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.9	209 of 601	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.8	171 of 607	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.4	158 of 602	73.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.4	181 of 585	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.2	69 of 481	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	57.8	143 of 488	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	50.3	201 of 463	56.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.5	314 of 551	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.2	283 of 542	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.7	325 of 553	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	79.0	115 of 537	78.6%	★★★★☆
2022	73.7	146 of 534	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	62.3	125 of 439	71.5%	★★★★☆
2019	39.0	251 of 444	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	260 of 427	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

High school

Hispanic (2026)74th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)67th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile+3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)55th percentile-22 vs school

Female (2026)48th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2023)43rd percentile-34 vs school

White (2026)43rd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III83%+14 vs state

English II65%~ state avg

Biology60%~ state avg

Math I39%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School and help other families decide.

Rate Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School

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 Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School

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)	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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th 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
Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School	Public	9-12	409 8th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 328-6738	201	13	15.2	98.5%	107 (53.2%)	22 (10.9%)	45 (22.4%)	6 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (10.4%)	53.3	300^th of 662 public high schools	54.7%		56.6	253^rd of 641 public high schools	60.5%	47	60.0	64.9	38.6	83.3						$15,342	$1,043	$14,299
Hickory High	Public	9-12	1234 3rd Street NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 322-5860	1,024	38	26.6	99.7%	358 (35.0%)	196 (19.1%)	297 (29.0%)	47 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.6%)	120 (11.7%)	28.5	487^th of 662 public high schools	26.4%		26.1	486^th of 641 public high schools	24.2%	1	45.0	54.6	30.8	56.0						$8,704	$694	$8,010
Challenger Early College High	Public	9-12	2550 Hwy 70 SE	Hickory	28602	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 485-2980	376	11	33.5	49.5%	131 (34.8%)	10 (2.7%)	122 (32.4%)	72 (19.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (10.6%)	93.6	20^th of 662 public high schools	97.0%		95.5	16^th of 641 public high schools	97.5%	4	98.9	100.0	96.2	95.7						$6,093	$246	$5,847
Saint Stephens High	Public	9-12	3205 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9841	1,268	57	22.0	99.8%	560 (44.2%)	109 (8.6%)	442 (34.9%)	62 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (7.5%)	49.9	330^th of 662 public high schools	50.2%		58	243^rd of 641 public high schools	62.1%	87	64.7	62.9	42.2	68.9						$8,502	$740	$7,761
Newton-Conover High	Public	9-12	338 W 15th Street	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Newton Conover City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 465-0920	724	44	16.5	60.5%	314 (43.4%)	71 (9.8%)	222 (30.7%)	46 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (9.8%)	32.4	461^st of 662 public high schools	30.4%		28.9	466^th of 641 public high schools	27.3%	5	44.0	48.8	48.9	58.6						$10,228	$626	$9,601
Discovery High School	Public	9-12	301 West 18th St	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Newton Conover City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 466-5581	146	7	22.1	29.5%	85 (58.2%)	4 (2.7%)	28 (19.2%)	15 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.6%)	72	176^th of 662 public high schools	73.4%		83	121^st of 641 public high schools	81.1%	55	71.4	85.0	84.8	65.8						$7,999	$741	$7,259
East Burke High	Public	9-12	3695 East Burke Boulevard	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-5541	874	38	23.1	99.4%	655 (74.9%)	16 (1.8%)	86 (9.8%)	71 (8.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (5.0%)	44.1	377^th of 662 public high schools	43.1%		56.3	254^th of 641 public high schools	60.4%	123	52.1	62.7	49.0	62.5						$9,240	$806	$8,435
South Caldwell High	Public	9-12	7035 Spartan Drive	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 396-2188	1,272	67	19.0	99.1%	1,030 (81.0%)	25 (2.0%)	151 (11.9%)	7 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (4.6%)	40.5	398^th of 662 public high schools	39.9%		51	288^th of 641 public high schools	55.1%	110	49.0	62.0	30.0	74.5						$9,486	$729	$8,757
Gateway School	Public	6-12	1889 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-8373	53	9	5.9	94.3%	33 (62.3%)	2 (3.8%)	9 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (15.1%)								(n/a)			11.1	541.5	9.1	< 5%	45.5	10.5	26.3	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
Fred T Foard High	Public	9-12	3407 Plateau Road	Newton	28658	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 462-1496	930	43	21.8	46.9%	684 (73.5%)	30 (3.2%)	98 (10.5%)	48 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	67 (7.2%)	53.1	303^rd of 662 public high schools	54.2%		52.6	274^th of 641 public high schools	57.3%	29	63.5	62.7	63.7	61.1						$8,769	$744	$8,025

Frequently Asked Questions about Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School

Is Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School a good school?

Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School ranks 300^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 201 students attended Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School.

What district is Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School in?

Hickory City Schools

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School?

Students at Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School are 53% White, 22% Hispanic, 11% African American, 10% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Rate Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Hickory, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School!

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.