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North Lincoln High

Q: Is North Lincoln High a good school?

North Lincoln High ranks 151 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

151^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 77% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

North Lincoln High is a large public high school in Lincolnton, North Carolina, serving about 1,126 students in grades 9–12 as part of Lincoln County Schools. The school currently ranks 151st out of 662 high schools statewide (77th percentile, 4 stars), placing it comfortably in the top quarter of North Carolina high schools. Its graduation rate is strong at 94.1%, well above both the district's 92.1% and the state's 88.8%, and chronic absenteeism, though up recently to 15.8%, remains well below state averages.

North Lincoln posts outstanding End-of-Course exam results, with proficiency rates far exceeding state averages across all four tested subjects. Its math program is especially notable: 76.5% of students are proficient in Math I and 87.7% in Math III, compared to state averages of 42.1% and 68.9%. Biology (73.2%) and English II (79.2%) proficiency rates are similarly impressive. Among nearby traditional high schools, North Lincoln is the highest-ranked — only Challenger Early College High, a selective magnet, ranks higher. It also outpaces strong regional schools like East Lincoln High (rank 221), Bandys High (rank 206), and Lincolnton High (rank 407) — the latter being in the same district just 8.7 miles away, despite Lincolnton spending significantly more per student.

What really sets North Lincoln apart is its effectiveness with students who often face greater challenges. Low-income students, Hispanic students, and special education students all rank in the 73rd–81st percentile statewide, a sign that the school is narrowing achievement gaps. However, the school's gifted and talented students ranked only in the 38th percentile, suggesting a need for stronger enrichment and advanced coursework. Additionally, only about 25% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch — far lower than nearby schools like Lincolnton High (99.5%) — and North Lincoln spends less per pupil ($7,071) than many peers while achieving stronger outcomes. Families should keep an eye on rising chronic absenteeism and relatively large class sizes (21.5 students per teacher) as the school builds on its momentum.

1,126

Students ?

21.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,071

Per pupil spending ?

25.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2737 Lee Lawing Road
Lincolnton, NC 28092

(704) 736-1969

District: Lincoln County Schools

Feeder schools for North Lincoln High:

Elementary:	Pumpkin Center Intermediate
	Pumpkin Center Primary
	Rock Springs Elementary
Middle:	North Lincoln Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.8%

Hispanic:

10.7%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare North Lincoln High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of North Carolina high schools

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg60%

151^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4High Schools in the Lincoln County Schools

75^th of 246Lincoln 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
2026	77.8	151 of 662	77.2%	★★★★☆
2025	59.6	228 of 641	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.3	184 of 640	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.0	172 of 626	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.9	165 of 621	73.4%	★★★★☆
2021	77.9	119 of 594	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	55 of 514	89.3%	★★★★☆
2018	83.9	44 of 469	90.6%	★★★★★
2017	80.0	50 of 476	89.5%	★★★★☆
2016	68.4	76 of 507	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	71.1	73 of 531	86.3%	★★★★☆
2014	73.8	55 of 451	87.8%	★★★★☆
2013	70.4	42 of 505	91.7%	★★★★★
2012	69.1	75 of 502	85.1%	★★★★☆
2011	75.8	47 of 506	90.7%	★★★★★
2010	75.9	40 of 499	92.0%	★★★★★
2009	80.6	21 of 490	95.7%	★★★★★
2008	75.7	37 of 477	92.2%	★★★★★
2007	69.6	79 of 453	82.6%	★★★★☆
2006	74.4	40 of 431	90.7%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	48.0	176 of 437	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.3	179 of 430	58.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	40.7	163 of 330	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.2	41 of 334	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	68.8	54 of 364	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	46.3	147 of 349	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.1	117 of 629	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	62.3	212 of 610	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.8	158 of 602	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	75.8	144 of 588	75.5%	★★★★☆
2022	72.0	157 of 594	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.8	47 of 475	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	83.9	37 of 475	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	84.2	42 of 449	90.6%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.1	253 of 407	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.6	279 of 412	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.9	189 of 403	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.1	130 of 403	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.3	275 of 398	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	79.0	24 of 337	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	77.5	37 of 325	88.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	121 of 474	74.5%	★★★★☆
2025	49.4	194 of 462	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.4	130 of 454	71.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.4	99 of 449	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	96 of 436	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	27 of 370	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	88.5	14 of 354	96.0%	★★★★★
2018	77.2	36 of 340	89.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.1	167 of 620	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	37.9	348 of 606	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.0	263 of 613	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	205 of 597	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.2	146 of 544	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	66.5	42 of 432	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	75.4	33 of 446	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	73.4	48 of 424	88.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	166 of 624	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	55.6	241 of 601	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	202 of 607	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.1	181 of 602	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	163 of 585	72.1%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	56 of 481	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	76.0	60 of 488	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	83.1	48 of 463	89.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	190 of 253	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.4	130 of 261	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.9	50 of 249	79.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	69 of 372	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	24.2	295 of 352	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.2	215 of 349	38.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	173 of 551	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.7	276 of 542	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.7	221 of 553	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.7	208 of 537	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	205 of 534	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.3	92 of 439	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	79 of 444	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	83 of 427	80.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)81st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)81st percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)74th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)73rd percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-9 vs school

African American (2024)60th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)51st percentile-23 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)38th percentile-39 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)25th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III88%+19 vs state

English II79%+15 vs state

Math I76%+34 vs state

Biology73%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Lincoln 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
North Lincoln High	Public	9-12	2737 Lee Lawing Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-1969	1,126	52	21.5	25.3%	921 (81.8%)	30 (2.7%)	120 (10.7%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.1%)	77.8	151^st of 662 public high schools	77.2%		59.6	228^th of 641 public high schools	64.4%	77	73.2	79.2	76.5	87.7	$7,071	$386	$6,685
Asbury Academy	Public	6-12	221 Salem Church Road	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-4766	34	9	3.7	91.2%	23 (67.6%)	4 (11.8%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (17.6%)								(n/a)	341.9				$21,466	$469	$20,997
Maiden High	Public	9-12	600 West Main Street	Maiden	28650	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 428-8197	852	41	20.7	49.1%	528 (62.0%)	54 (6.3%)	150 (17.6%)	57 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (7.4%)	48.3	342^nd of 662 public high schools	48.3%		47.8	320^th of 641 public high schools	50.1%	22	54.3	63.7	49.2	69.9	$9,016	$684	$8,333
East Lincoln High	Public	9-12	6471 Hwy 73	Denver	28037	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 736-1860	1,047	55	19.0	31.8%	758 (72.4%)	84 (8.0%)	117 (11.2%)	18 (1.7%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.1%)	65.3	221^st of 662 public high schools	66.6%		72.3	169^th of 641 public high schools	73.6%	52	69.2	68.8	68.3	75.4	$7,000	$484	$6,516
Bandys High	Public	9-12	5040 E Bandys Road	Catawba	28609	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 241-1471	935	40	23.1	40.5%	696 (74.4%)	42 (4.5%)	116 (12.4%)	17 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.8%)	66.7	206^th of 662 public high schools	68.9%		69.2	181^st of 641 public high schools	71.8%	25	63.8	73.8	60.2	83.0	$8,843	$732	$8,111
Lincolnton High	Public	9-12	803 N Aspen St	Lincolnton	28092	Lincoln County	Lincoln County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 735-3089	797	47	16.9	—	350 (43.9%)	138 (17.3%)	235 (29.5%)	8 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (8.2%)	39.4	407^th of 662 public high schools	38.5%		47.2	328^th of 641 public high schools	48.8%	79	40.9	57.1	40.5	75.4	$9,236	$894	$8,342
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
Lake Norman High	Public	9-12	186 Doolie Road	Mooresville	28117	Iredell County	Iredell-Statesville Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 799-8555	1,905	84	22.7	19.8%	1,358 (71.3%)	132 (6.9%)	230 (12.1%)	78 (4.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	106 (5.6%)	63.4	230^th of 662 public high schools	65.3%		69.1	182^nd of 641 public high schools	71.6%	48	67.9	71.4	56.9	76.1	$6,712	$326	$6,386
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	—	468 (44.1%)	286 (27.0%)	226 (21.3%)	12 (1.1%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	63 (5.9%)	25.3	519^th of 662 public high schools	21.6%		22.8	508^th of 641 public high schools	20.7%	11	44.7	43.4	32.0	59.2	$8,686	$748	$7,938

Frequently Asked Questions about North Lincoln High

Is North Lincoln High a good school?

North Lincoln High ranks 151^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of North Lincoln High?

Students at North Lincoln High are 82% White, 11% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is North Lincoln High in?

Lincoln County Schools

What schools feed into North Lincoln High?

North Lincoln High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pumpkin Center Intermediate
Elementary : Pumpkin Center Primary
Elementary : Rock Springs Elementary
Middle : North Lincoln Middle

How many students attend North Lincoln High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,126 students attended North Lincoln High.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.