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Princeton High

Q: Is Princeton High a good school?

Princeton High ranks 319 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

319^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 50% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Princeton High is a public high school serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 1,021 students in Princeton, North Carolina. The school is part of the Johnston County Public Schools district, which is ranked 94 out of 242 districts in the state.

Princeton High has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking over the past decade, ranging from a high of 97 out of 476 North Carolina high schools in 2016-2017 to a low of 375 out of 594 in 2020-2021. In the most recent school year, the school ranked 319 out of 641 high schools, maintaining its 3-star rating. The school generally performs above the district and state averages in Mathematics and Science, but lags behind in subjects like Biology. Princeton High's four-year graduation rate has remained relatively high, ranging from 86.9% to 92.5% over the past few years.

While Princeton High's performance is generally on par with or slightly better than nearby schools within the Johnston County Public Schools district, it lags behind the higher-performing schools in the district, such as the Johnston County Schools Career Technical and the Johnston County Early College Academy. The school's significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 32.48% in 2021-2022 to 99.71% in 2023-2024, suggests that the school is serving a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, which may contribute to its fluctuating performance and lower rankings in certain student subgroups.

988

Students ?

19.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,669

Per pupil spending ?

99.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 Dr Donnie H Jones Jr Blvd
Princeton, NC 27569

(919) 936-5011

District: Johnston County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Princeton High:

Elementary:

Princeton Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.4%

Hispanic:

22.6%

African American:

9.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Princeton High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (88%)

✓Above the North Carolina median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg55%

North Carolina avg54%

Middle school

294^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

319^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 10High Schools in the Johnston County Public Schools

94^th of 242Johnston County Public 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
2025	58.3	294 of 773	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.6	270 of 793	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.0	282 of 784	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.2	232 of 786	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	37.4	454 of 741	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.5	317 of 737	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.2	310 of 691	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.7	217 of 694	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	72.2	167 of 692	75.9%	★★★★☆
2015	64.2	234 of 705	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.2	232 of 627	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.9	216 of 673	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	76.4	131 of 662	80.2%	★★★★☆
2011	74.1	157 of 648	75.8%	★★★★☆
2010	78.4	106 of 640	83.4%	★★★★☆
2009	78.4	109 of 630	82.7%	★★★★☆
2008	75.3	128 of 620	79.4%	★★★★☆
2007	64.0	237 of 606	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.4	193 of 598	67.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.1	370 of 546	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	308 of 560	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.4	400 of 559	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.2	242 of 533	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	277 of 519	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.6	267 of 494	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	56.3	117 of 449	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	29.4	374 of 478	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.7	99 of 504	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	55.6	144 of 475	69.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.3	235 of 371	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	215 of 356	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.0	45 of 318	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	53.9	95 of 312	69.6%	★★★★☆
2021	28.2	194 of 236	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.3	375 of 733	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.2	347 of 738	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.9	292 of 731	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.8	216 of 733	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	33.3	466 of 706	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.5	384 of 684	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.5	362 of 656	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	77.2	10 of 458	97.8%	★★★★★
2024	69.8	87 of 461	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	59.3	217 of 452	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.0	156 of 450	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	251 of 448	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.8	114 of 416	72.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	275 of 562	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.6	306 of 564	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.1	205 of 553	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	244 of 541	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	24.7	435 of 522	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.1	325 of 493	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.5	324 of 472	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	322 of 729	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.2	241 of 743	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.8	249 of 735	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	145 of 689	79.0%	★★★★☆
2021	35.1	417 of 633	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.8	202 of 639	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	194 of 604	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	64.8	230 of 733	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.2	197 of 751	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	62.4	250 of 747	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.3	241 of 748	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.4	421 of 711	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.5	245 of 697	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.8	255 of 665	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	236 of 478	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.5	59 of 473	87.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	292 of 649	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.3	283 of 652	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	296 of 656	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.0	251 of 658	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	25.4	502 of 632	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.0	360 of 624	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.4	340 of 596	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.8	319 of 641	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.5	307 of 640	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.9	272 of 626	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	286 of 621	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.6	375 of 594	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.3	271 of 514	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	213 of 469	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.4	97 of 476	79.6%	★★★★☆
2016	46.4	190 of 507	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.9	168 of 531	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.8	114 of 451	74.7%	★★★★☆
2013	54.7	115 of 505	77.2%	★★★★☆
2012	72.0	57 of 502	88.6%	★★★★☆
2011	68.6	100 of 506	80.2%	★★★★☆
2010	73.3	52 of 499	89.6%	★★★★☆
2009	69.3	77 of 490	84.3%	★★★★☆
2008	75.2	41 of 477	91.4%	★★★★★
2007	70.1	76 of 453	83.2%	★★★★☆
2006	74.1	46 of 431	89.3%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.5	312 of 440	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	66.1	103 of 434	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	27.0	325 of 430	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.5	258 of 364	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	318 of 369	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	214 of 359	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	42.3	153 of 330	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.9	216 of 334	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.2	232 of 364	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.9	91 of 349	73.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	150 of 273	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.4	65 of 262	75.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	49.0	311 of 610	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	299 of 602	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.9	284 of 588	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.2	271 of 594	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.3	259 of 475	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.0	225 of 475	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.9	183 of 449	59.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	58.9	213 of 412	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	202 of 403	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.3	22 of 403	94.5%	★★★★★
2022	76.1	68 of 398	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	73.0	66 of 337	80.4%	★★★★☆
2019	53.9	165 of 325	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.7	7 of 100	93.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.3	230 of 462	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	180 of 454	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	174 of 449	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.8	153 of 436	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.2	241 of 370	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.2	202 of 354	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.9	121 of 340	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	272 of 606	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.0	307 of 613	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.9	245 of 597	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.8	211 of 544	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.6	203 of 432	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.7	266 of 446	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.6	109 of 424	74.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	44.9	309 of 601	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.4	306 of 607	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.1	259 of 602	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.3	292 of 585	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.8	304 of 481	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.2	304 of 488	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	266 of 463	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.4	93 of 352	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	24.9	288 of 349	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	315 of 542	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	310 of 553	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.5	308 of 537	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.8	312 of 534	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.8	304 of 439	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.1	302 of 444	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	261 of 427	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Gifted and Talented (2025)98th percentile+36 vs school

Disabled (2022)74th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)69th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)55th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)51st percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2025)51st percentile-11 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile-13 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)37th percentile-25 vs school

African American (2025)32nd percentile-30 vs school

High school

Special Education (2025)74th percentile+23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)55th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile~ school

Female (2025)49th percentile~ school

Male (2025)49th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)48th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)45th percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)42nd percentile-8 vs school

African American (2025)29th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III68%~ state avg

Mathematics61%+8 vs state

English II61%~ state avg

Science61%~ state avg

Reading52%~ state avg

Biology45%-4 vs state

Math I38%+4 vs state

4.0

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Schools Near Princeton High

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (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 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
Princeton High	Public	6-12	101 Dr Donnie H Jones Jr Blvd	Princeton	27569	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 936-5011	988	52	19.1	99.2%	626 (63.4%)	90 (9.1%)	223 (22.6%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.6%)	47.8	319^th of 641 public high schools	50.2%		48.5	307^th of 640 public high schools	52.0%	12	44.6	60.8	38.3	67.9	55.8	65.1	62.7	48.6	53.2	55.9	60.7	$9,669	$525	$9,144
Rosewood High	Public	9-12	900 Rosewood Road	Goldsboro	27530	Wayne County	Wayne County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 705-6050	460	21	21.8	98.5%	278 (60.4%)	81 (17.6%)	74 (16.1%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	49.7	304^th of 641 public high schools	52.6%		36.6	396^th of 640 public high schools	38.1%	92	48.9	55.9	44.7	65.6								$10,220	$987	$9,233
North Johnston High	Public	9-12	5915 US Hwy 301 N	Kenly	27542	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 284-2031	788	40	19.8	98.2%	376 (47.7%)	75 (9.5%)	316 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.7%)	40	376^th of 641 public high schools	41.3%		38.2	383^rd of 640 public high schools	40.2%	7	33.3	58.6	45.1	57.7								$10,995	$811	$10,184
Johnston County Schools Career Technical	Public	9-12	245 College Road	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 464-2303	241	6	41.1	98.8%	101 (41.9%)	31 (12.9%)	98 (40.7%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.5%)	95.5	17^th of 641 public high schools	97.3%		95.8	13^th of 640 public high schools	98.0%	4	98.1	98.7	94.3	98.5								$7,440	$137	$7,303
Johnston County Early College Academy	Public	9-12	245 College Rd	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 464-2314	251	7	34.9	98.8%	142 (56.6%)	22 (8.8%)	72 (28.7%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	94.1	34^th of 641 public high schools	94.7%		95.9	11^th of 640 public high schools	98.3%	23		98.4		100.0								$6,903	$137	$6,766
Smithfield-Selma High	Public	9-12	700 M. Durwood Stephenson Park	Smithfield	27577	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 934-5191	1,548	86	17.9	99.8%	290 (18.7%)	398 (25.7%)	793 (51.2%)	13 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (3.2%)	27.3	479^th of 641 public high schools	25.3%		29.3	458^th of 640 public high schools	28.4%	21	41.5	45.6	19.2	50.8								$10,069	$868	$9,200
Charles B Aycock High	Public	9-12	5460 US 117 North	Pikeville	27863	Wayne County	Wayne County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 242-3400	1,138	43	26.5	98.7%	575 (50.5%)	289 (25.4%)	184 (16.2%)	21 (1.8%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	63 (5.5%)	57.5	248^th of 641 public high schools	61.3%		46.5	319^th of 640 public high schools	50.2%	71	43.6	57.4	56.7	79.4								$8,936	$829	$8,107
Wayne School of Engineering	Public	6-12	801 N. Lionel St	Goldsboro	27530	Wayne County	Wayne County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 734-0070	486	20	24.3	99.4%	281 (57.8%)	87 (17.9%)	79 (16.3%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (5.6%)	85.6	107^th of 641 public high schools	83.3%		83.3	120^th of 640 public high schools	81.3%	13	76.3	87.9		85.9	94.2	98.6	84.3	95.1	90.1	94.3	90.0	$7,192	$332	$6,860
Goldsboro High	Public	9-12	700 N. Herman St.	Goldsboro	27530	Wayne County	Wayne County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 731-5930	412	21	19.6	97.6%	7 (1.7%)	366 (88.8%)	30 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	20.8	519^th of 641 public high schools	19.0%		8.6	603^rd of 640 public high schools	5.8%	84	12.3	29.6	25.4	65.8								$11,741	$1,335	$10,407
Bertie High	Public	9-12	716 US Hwy 13 North	Windsor	27983	Bertie County	Bertie County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 794-3034	449	31	14.5	99.3%	35 (7.8%)	375 (83.5%)	10 (2.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.6%)	20	525^th of 641 public high schools	18.1%		19.6	519^th of 640 public high schools	18.9%	6	30.1	39.7	10.7	53.8								$14,631	$2,772	$11,859

Frequently Asked Questions about Princeton High

How many students attend Princeton High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 988 students attended Princeton High.

Is Princeton High a good school?

Princeton High ranks 319^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Princeton High?

Students at Princeton High are 63% White, 23% Hispanic, 9% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Princeton High?

Princeton High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Princeton Elementary

What district is Princeton High in?

Johnston County Public Schools

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2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

2023–24 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 4, 2024

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.