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South Mecklenburg High School

Q: Is South Mecklenburg High School a good school?

South Mecklenburg High School ranks 361 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12

361^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 45% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

South Mecklenburg High School is a large, comprehensive public high school in Charlotte, NC, serving about 2,534 students in grades 9–12 as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The school currently ranks 361st of 662 North Carolina high schools, landing in the 45th percentile with a two-star rating. Its graduation rate is 81.7%, well below the district rate of 87.9%, and chronic absenteeism affects about 27% of students — slightly above the state average. Nearly half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

Parents exploring the southern Charlotte area will see a striking contrast with neighboring schools. Providence High School ranks 78th statewide, and Ardrey Kell High School ranks 112th — both with far higher test scores and graduation rates. Myers Park High School (247th) and East Mecklenburg High School (347th) also outperform South Mecklenburg on several key measures, while Ballantyne Ridge High School reports a much stronger 92.9% graduation rate. South Mecklenburg sits ahead of Olympic High School, but it remains one of the weaker traditional high schools in an otherwise strong cluster.

The most encouraging news is that achievement is trending upward. Math I proficiency jumped from 20.6% to 39.6% in a single year, Biology has climbed to 57.7%, and Math III now sits at 68.7%. The graduation rate has improved for two consecutive years, and chronic absenteeism has dropped sharply from its post-pandemic high. Even so, the school is nowhere near its former standing a decade ago, when it ranked in the 80th percentile and earned four stars. South Mecklenburg is best described as a school in partial recovery — one that families should evaluate carefully against the higher-performing options nearby.

2,534

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,057

Per pupil spending ?

46.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

8900 Park Rd
Charlotte, NC 28210-7609

(980) 343-3600

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Feeder schools for South Mecklenburg High School:

Elementary:	Beverly Woods Elementary
	Endhaven Elementary
	Huntingtowne Farms Elementary
	McAlpine Elementary
	More...
	Pineville Elementary
	Smithfield Elementary
	Sterling Elementary
Middle:	Quail Hollow Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.3%

White:

31.7%

African American:

20.6%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare South Mecklenburg High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 37th percentile in 2023 → 45th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 45th (2026) from a 37th-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (82% vs 89%)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg60%

361^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 37 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 16High Schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

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	45.8	361 of 662	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	340 of 641	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	381 of 640	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.2	397 of 626	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	380 of 621	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.2	261 of 594	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	159 of 514	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.2	96 of 469	79.5%	★★★★☆
2017	68.7	89 of 476	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	64.1	90 of 507	82.2%	★★★★☆
2015	69.3	81 of 531	84.7%	★★★★☆
2014	67.1	79 of 451	82.5%	★★★★☆
2013	59.1	80 of 505	84.2%	★★★★☆
2012	61.7	136 of 502	72.9%	★★★★☆
2011	69.3	90 of 506	82.2%	★★★★☆
2010	66.9	107 of 499	78.6%	★★★★☆
2009	66.7	102 of 490	79.2%	★★★★☆
2008	56.2	194 of 477	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.9	173 of 453	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.7	213 of 431	50.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	274 of 450	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	248 of 440	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.8	186 of 437	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.2	212 of 434	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	190 of 430	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.4	70 of 364	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	63.3	64 of 369	82.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.4	49 of 359	86.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	46 of 103	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.3	38 of 106	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.7	41 of 101	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.3	66 of 98	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.2	58 of 91	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.1	44 of 83	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.4	27 of 89	69.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	36 of 77	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	45.3	138 of 330	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.3	98 of 334	70.7%	★★★★☆
2019	57.2	103 of 364	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	76 of 349	78.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	174 of 289	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.5	129 of 273	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.9	211 of 262	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	182 of 226	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.8	99 of 156	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	66 of 124	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.5	27 of 173	84.4%	★★★★☆
2018	73.1	27 of 147	81.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	360 of 629	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.4	343 of 610	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.5	352 of 602	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	363 of 588	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.7	368 of 594	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.7	161 of 475	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.8	165 of 475	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	140 of 449	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	235 of 407	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	62.8	180 of 412	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	169 of 403	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.3	155 of 403	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	125 of 398	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.4	60 of 337	82.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.7	362 of 474	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.4	347 of 462	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	376 of 454	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	356 of 449	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.0	339 of 436	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.0	193 of 370	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.3	140 of 354	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.1	86 of 340	74.7%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.3	29 of 47	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.8	32 of 39	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	38 of 47	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	59.7	14 of 45	68.9%	★★★★☆
2022	68.5	3 of 34	91.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	423 of 620	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.1	406 of 606	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.5	426 of 613	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.2	421 of 597	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.6	313 of 544	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	177 of 432	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.5	159 of 446	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.2	76 of 424	82.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.7	344 of 624	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.8	319 of 601	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.7	400 of 607	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.6	407 of 602	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	371 of 585	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.1	195 of 481	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.5	154 of 488	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.3	76 of 463	83.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.3	51 of 265	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	84.4	27 of 253	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.9	98 of 261	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.6	94 of 249	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	84 of 226	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.8	60 of 199	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	65.1	53 of 195	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	89.9	8 of 185	95.7%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	224 of 372	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.7	253 of 352	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.7	153 of 349	56.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.5	125 of 551	77.3%	★★★★☆
2025	76.9	135 of 542	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	159 of 553	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	177 of 537	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.9	179 of 534	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.6	53 of 439	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	80.4	47 of 444	89.4%	★★★★☆
2018	88.1	26 of 427	93.9%	★★★★★

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)

Multi-racial (2026)81st percentile+35 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile+32 vs school

Disabled (2022)58th percentile+19 vs school

Asian (2026)55th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)45th percentile~ school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)42nd percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)40th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)40th percentile-6 vs school

African American (2026)39th percentile-6 vs school

Homeless (2026)38th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)24th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III69%~ state avg

English II62%~ state avg

Biology58%~ state avg

Math I40%~ state avg

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Great school serves diverse population in a welcoming environment. Close Quote

Schools Near South Mecklenburg High School

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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)	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	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
South Mecklenburg High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	8900 Park Rd	Charlotte	28210	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-3600	2,534	142	17.7	46.8%	804 (31.7%)	521 (20.6%)	1,072 (42.3%)	63 (2.5%)	3 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (2.8%)	45.8	361^st of 662 public high schools	45.5%		45	340^th of 641 public high schools	47.0%	21	57.7	62.5	39.6	68.7								$8,057	$412	$7,646
Harper Middle College High	Public	11-12	315 W Hebron St	Charlotte	28235	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-0012	125	5	26.0	25.6%	28 (22.4%)	37 (29.6%)	41 (32.8%)	16 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)								(n/a)				95.4								$7,536	$325	$7,211
Ballantyne Ridge High School	Public	9-12	4004 Toringdon Way	Charlotte	28277	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(980) 343-1122	1,414	83	16.9	40.5%	442 (31.3%)	286 (20.2%)	420 (29.7%)	215 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (3.5%)	65.4	217^th of 662 public high schools	67.2%					(n/a)	69.3	79.6	45.7	76.6
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Virtual School	Public	5-12	7030 Nations Ford Road	Charlotte	28217	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-3066	619	36	17.3	50.6%	137 (22.1%)	283 (45.7%)	152 (24.6%)	18 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	24 (3.9%)	53	307^th of 662 public high schools	53.6%		56.1	256^th of 641 public high schools	60.1%	51	70.6	76.1	47.6	57.1	44.0	43.3	40.7	60.0	61.2	57.0	62.8	$6,482	$435	$6,047
Elbert Edwin Waddell High School	Public	9-12	7030 Nations Ford Rd	Charlotte	28217	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(980) 343-2142	123	14	8.7	71.5%	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	121 (98.4%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.5	603^rd of 662 public high schools	8.9%					(n/a)	339.0	536.7	19.0	38.2
Myers Park High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	2400 Colony Rd	Charlotte	28209	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5800	3,225	154	20.9	34.5%	1,658 (51.4%)	730 (22.6%)	640 (19.8%)	88 (2.7%)	5 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	101 (3.1%)	61.3	247^th of 662 public high schools	62.7%		62.8	213^th of 641 public high schools	66.8%	34	69.5	73.8	36.5	79.4								$7,885	$340	$7,545
Providence High School	Public	9-12	1800 Pineville-Matthews Rd	Charlotte	28270	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-5390	2,167	105	20.5	15.2%	1,340 (61.8%)	175 (8.1%)	254 (11.7%)	329 (15.2%)	1 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	66 (3.0%)	89.9	78^th of 662 public high schools	88.2%		90.5	72^nd of 641 public high schools	88.8%	6	90.9	91.3	84.4	96.2								$8,296	$371	$7,925
Ardrey Kell High School	Public	9-12	10220 Ardrey Kell Road	Charlotte	28277	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-0860	3,036	146	20.8	14.7%	1,240 (40.8%)	321 (10.6%)	371 (12.2%)	1,010 (33.3%)	4 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	82 (2.7%)	84.4	112^th of 662 public high schools	83.1%		87	98^th of 641 public high schools	84.7%	14	85.4	88.5	73.7	87.7								$7,345	$428	$6,917
Olympic High School	Public	9-12	4301 Sandy Porter Rd	Charlotte	28273	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-3800	1,483	89	16.7	—	82 (5.5%)	568 (38.3%)	709 (47.8%)	81 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (2.8%)	28	493^rd of 662 public high schools	25.5%		29.9	452^nd of 641 public high schools	29.5%	41	44.1	53.9	36.0	52.6								$8,149	$512	$7,637
Charlotte Secondary	Public, Charter	6-12	8601 McAlpine Park Dr	Charlotte	28211	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte Secondary School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(704) 295-0137	157	7	22.2	—	22 (14.0%)	61 (38.9%)	53 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (13.4%)	24.7	521^st of 662 public high schools	21.3%		14.3	569^th of 641 public high schools	11.2%	48	52.0	54.5	6.7	38.5	11.8	35.0	19.0	23.5	35.0	14.3	19.0

Frequently Asked Questions about South Mecklenburg High School

How many students attend South Mecklenburg High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,534 students attended South Mecklenburg High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Mecklenburg High School?

Students at South Mecklenburg High School are 42% Hispanic, 32% White, 21% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is South Mecklenburg High School in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

What schools feed into South Mecklenburg High School?

South Mecklenburg High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Beverly Woods Elementary
Elementary : Endhaven Elementary
Elementary : Huntingtowne Farms Elementary
Elementary : McAlpine Elementary
Elementary : Pineville Elementary
Elementary : Smithfield Elementary
Elementary : Sterling Elementary
Middle : Quail Hollow Middle

Is South Mecklenburg High School a good school?

South Mecklenburg High School ranks 361^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate South Mecklenburg High School!

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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.