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University Meadows Elementary

Q: Is University Meadows Elementary a good school?

University Meadows Elementary ranks 1012 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend University Meadows Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 737 students attended University Meadows Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of University Meadows Elementary?

Students at University Meadows Elementary are 57% African American, 29% Hispanic, 6% White, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of University Meadows Elementary attend?

Students who attend University Meadows Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : James Martin Middle High : Julius L. Chambers High School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1012^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

University Meadows Elementary is a public PK–5 school in Charlotte, NC, serving 737 students as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school serves a very high-poverty population — 99.59% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. After years near the bottom of North Carolina's elementary school rankings, University Meadows is on a clear upward path: it moved from the 7th percentile statewide in 2022–2023 to the 32nd percentile in 2025–2026, and its state rating improved from zero to two stars.

The 2025–2026 school year brought an unusually sharp jump in academics. Third-grade math proficiency rose from 38.7% to 59.6%, and third-grade reading jumped from 25.3% to 49.0% in a single year. Science is a standout: 73.4% of fifth graders scored proficient, above the district average of 70.9% and state average of 67.7%, and outpacing nearby Stoney Creek Elementary and Mallard Creek Elementary. The school also shows impressive results with high-need students. Special Education students climbed from the 5th to the 91st percentile statewide between 2023–2024 and 2025–2026, and low-income students rose from the 8th to the 49th percentile.

Reading remains the biggest concern. At every grade level, proficiency trails district and state averages, and the gap widens by fifth grade, where 38.3% of students are proficient compared with 55.3% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is also high — 35.2% in 2024–2025 versus 26.8% for the district — and the student-to-teacher ratio of 19.1 is the highest among nearby schools. Even so, the trend is encouraging. University Meadows now ranks above several peers, including Stoney Creek Elementary, Joseph W Grier Academy (18th percentile), and Grove Park Elementary School (15th percentile), while still trailing Mallard Creek Elementary (55th percentile) and Dorothy J Vaughan Academy at Parkside (66th percentile).

737

Students ?

19.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

1600 Pavilion Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28262-8105

(980) 343-3685

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Students who attend University Meadows Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	James Martin Middle
High:	Julius L. Chambers High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

56.7%

Hispanic:

28.8%

White:

6.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare University Meadows Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 7th percentile in 2023 → 32nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 32nd (2026) from a 7th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (52% vs 61% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 24% North Carolina)

!Reading scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg64%

North Carolina avg61%

1,012^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to bottom 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

105^th of 246Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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	34.7	1012 of 1492	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.3	1255 of 1490	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	1353 of 1505	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	1394 of 1502	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	1297 of 1514	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	1097 of 1489	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.8	1025 of 1473	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.9	974 of 1434	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.2	921 of 1429	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	47.5	783 of 1425	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.8	916 of 1440	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.4	844 of 1390	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.9	847 of 1403	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.8	1051 of 1388	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	40.7	911 of 1381	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.6	1041 of 1363	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.9	1093 of 1354	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.0	980 of 1324	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.4	900 of 1293	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.9	852 of 1276	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.0	254 of 903	71.9%	★★★★☆
2025	41.8	527 of 918	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	629 of 924	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.2	760 of 933	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.4	580 of 927	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.5	293 of 896	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.5	294 of 949	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.4	205 of 927	77.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	13.7	631 of 634	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	401 of 646	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.8	496 of 878	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.5	473 of 897	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.8	270 of 519	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.7	466 of 563	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.7	219 of 533	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.6	339 of 514	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.9	319 of 485	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.9	121 of 385	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.5	147 of 497	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.1	65 of 421	84.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.3	935 of 1447	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.5	1148 of 1451	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	1267 of 1455	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	1304 of 1459	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	1170 of 1458	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.1	1023 of 1440	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.3	1033 of 1424	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.5	864 of 1405	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	28 of 710	96.1%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	652 of 981	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.1	643 of 961	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.0	770 of 951	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.1	706 of 915	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	696 of 893	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.4	573 of 843	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.4	354 of 865	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.1	375 of 851	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	79.4	3 of 15	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	38.7	10 of 14	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.2	7 of 8	12.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.0	738 of 1434	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.3	1195 of 1437	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.1	1339 of 1450	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	1280 of 1437	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.3	1136 of 1366	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	913 of 1329	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	666 of 1361	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.0	699 of 1332	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	1007 of 1451	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	18.5	1283 of 1450	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	1348 of 1464	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	1396 of 1461	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	1313 of 1464	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.5	1115 of 1444	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.1	958 of 1430	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.3	1035 of 1413	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	74 of 815	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	16.9	763 of 801	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2025)96th percentile+80 vs school

Special Education (2026)91st percentile+59 vs school

Homeless (2024)80th percentile+70 vs school

African American (2026)72nd percentile+40 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+16 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)48th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)35th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile~ school

Male (2026)31st percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)<1st percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science73%+6 vs state

Mathematics52%-11 vs state

Reading44%-12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

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2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 7, 2019

This school along with other low quality CMS sites should be bulldozed, rebuilt and restaffed. This rating #974/1434 is fitting for how the school functions. Very poorly. Our experience has been horrible, if your child has one problem they will target them and badger the parent for simple things like "talking while walking in line", try to speak to administrators they support the bias teachers and dismiss the parent and child as irrelevant or label you as "trouble-makers" or "disgruntle". This school will not accept any responsibility for anything. Advocate for your child- do not expect this school to advocate, or encourage self-confidence, to use teaching moments for spats, my baby is learning the information but often distracted by the mishandling of occurrences that's inevitable with children. The PTA is a joke. The principal isn't a member, most of the staff do not support their school's PTA. My comments may be subjective but Facts don't lie. Check out the faculty PTA membership at this school. Elementary was a fun learning experience for me in CMS and it breaks my heart my children will not be able to say this when they become adults. Shame on these educators who make learning so challenging and trite- find a profession or population you love and can tolerate. Close Quote

Schools Near University Meadows Elementary

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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)				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/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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
University Meadows Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Pavilion Blvd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-3685	737	38	19.1	—	46 (6.2%)	418 (56.7%)	212 (28.8%)	32 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.7%)	34.7	1012^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.2%		21.3	1255^th of 1490 public elementary schools	15.8%	243	59.6	42.9	54.3				49.0	45.6	38.3				73.4		$10,305	$1,460	$8,845
United Community School	Public, Charter	K-8	1406 Suther Road	Charlotte	28213	Mecklenburg County	United Community School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 819-0555	250	19	13.0	—	16 (6.4%)	135 (54.0%)	69 (27.6%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.4%)	40.3	900^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.7%		33.5	1028^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.0%	128	70.8	41.7	50.0	52.6	26.3	14.3	66.7	62.5	33.3	47.4	31.6	42.9	33.3	35.7
Dorothy J Vaughan Academy at Parkside	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2945 Johnston Oehler Rd.	Charlotte	28269	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-0030	309	20	15.2	—	18 (5.8%)	195 (63.1%)	76 (24.6%)	10 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	64.3	514^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.5%		72.6	352^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	76.4%	162	70.8	70.5	63.6				72.9	69.6	53.6				61.8		$9,792	$720	$9,072
Stoney Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	14015 Mallard Roost Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 344-1030	850	45	18.8	—	42 (4.9%)	545 (64.1%)	197 (23.2%)	26 (3.1%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	31 (3.6%)	32.9	1044^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.0%		14.7	1351^st of 1490 public elementary schools	9.3%	307	57.8	38.9	58.6				46.1	40.3	48.7				68.4		$9,805	$923	$8,882
A.C.E. Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7807 Caldwell Road	Harrisburg	28075	Cabarrus County	A.C.E. Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 456-7153	421	28	14.7	97.9%	9 (2.1%)	323 (76.7%)	68 (16.2%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	21	1264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	15.3%		24.7	1192^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	20.0%	72	40.8	55.8	32.6	34.7	69.8	55.6	28.6	42.3	47.8	51.0	58.1	60.0	47.8	68.9
Newell Elementary	Public	K-5	325 Rocky River Road West	Charlotte	28213	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6820	554	42	13.2	—	12 (2.2%)	159 (28.7%)	362 (65.3%)	14 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	15	1363^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	8.6%		11.7	1397^th of 1490 public elementary schools	6.2%	34	47.3	34.3	47.6				35.1	29.3	37.0				57.3		$9,891	$1,089	$8,802
Honor Prep	Public, Charter	K-2	9108 Mallard Creek Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Honor Prep	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(980) 301-0960				—															(n/a)
Joseph W Grier Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	8330 Grier Rd	Charlotte	28215	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-5671	529	33	16.2	—	30 (5.7%)	239 (45.2%)	223 (42.2%)	25 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.3%)	23.2	1224^th of 1492 public elementary schools	18.0%		19.1	1294^th of 1490 public elementary schools	13.2%	70	52.7	46.3	42.5				44.0	54.9	35.6				47.7		$10,343	$1,072	$9,271
Gov's Village STEM (Lower)	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	7910 Neal Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-5268	784	47	16.6	—	22 (2.8%)	420 (53.6%)	204 (26.0%)	112 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.2%)	22.1	1242^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	16.8%		22.1	1242^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	16.6%		48.3	44.7					47.7	39.8							$9,622	$1,382	$8,241
Mallard Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9801 Mallard Creek Rd	Charlotte	28262	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-3980	490	30	16.1	97.1%	29 (5.9%)	342 (69.8%)	74 (15.1%)	17 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.3%)	54.3	664^th of 1492 public elementary schools	55.5%		59.8	567^th of 1490 public elementary schools	61.9%	97	70.9	67.1	62.6				58.2	56.6	55.6				58.6		$9,661	$734	$8,927

Frequently Asked Questions about University Meadows Elementary

What district is University Meadows Elementary in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Is University Meadows Elementary a good school?

University Meadows Elementary ranks 1012^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of University Meadows Elementary?

Students at University Meadows Elementary are 57% African American, 29% Hispanic, 6% White, 4% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of University Meadows Elementary attend?

Students who attend University Meadows Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : James Martin Middle
High : Julius L. Chambers High School

How many students attend University Meadows Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 737 students attended University Meadows Elementary.

Rate University Meadows Elementary!

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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.