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Central Piedmont Early College

Q: Is Central Piedmont Early College a good school?

Central Piedmont Early College ranks 72 nd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

72^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 89% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Central Piedmont Early College is a small public high school in Charlotte, NC, serving 278 students in grades 9–12 as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. While the district overall ranks near the middle of North Carolina districts, Central Piedmont is a clear standout: it ranks 72nd out of 662 state high schools, placing it in the top 11% with a 4-star rating. That puts it well ahead of nearby neighborhood schools like Myers Park High School (247th), West Charlotte High School (442nd), and Garinger High School (578th), while magnet schools such as Northwest School of the Arts and Williams Secondary Montessori are its closest competitors.

Academics are Central Piedmont's biggest strength. On 2025–2026 state exams, students scored dramatically above district and state averages—90.3% proficient in Biology, 96.8% in English II, 72.5% in Math I, and 98% in Math III, compared with state averages ranging from roughly 42% to 69%. The school also produces consistently strong results for every group of students it serves: rankings for its students across different racial and economic backgrounds all fall in the 88th to 96th percentile statewide. Notably, about 41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and those students still rank in the 91st percentile statewide—evidence that high achievement here is not limited to one segment of the student body.

Attendance is another area where the school shines. In 2023–2024, Central Piedmont's chronic absenteeism rate was just 7.2%, compared with roughly 25% statewide and much higher rates at nearby schools like West Charlotte and Garinger, which sit around 44% and 56%, respectively. The school's recent trajectory is striking: after ranking in the bottom 7% of the state in 2022–2023, it jumped to the top 10% the very next year and has stayed there. Graduation rates have also been solid, with recent reported rates between 85% and 93%. For parents, Central Piedmont Early College is a small school delivering big results—high test scores, strong attendance, and consistent success across all student groups—in a region where school quality varies widely.

278

Students ?

27.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

41.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1228 Elizabeth Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28235

(980) 343-1118

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.0%

Hispanic:

32.0%

White:

17.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Central Piedmont Early College to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2016 → 89th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (92% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of North Carolina high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 51 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 28 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school92%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg60%

72^nd of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 51 pts since 2016

From bottom 38% (2016) to top 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High 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	90.4	72 of 662	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	88.5	88 of 641	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	90.8	67 of 640	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	8.7	585 of 626	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.7	579 of 621	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.3	588 of 594	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	462 of 514	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.6	418 of 469	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.3	417 of 476	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.5	316 of 507	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.5	302 of 531	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.2	202 of 451	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	47.7	164 of 505	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.0	121 of 506	76.1%	★★★★☆
2010	60.3	191 of 499	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	46.8	282 of 490	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	30.4	374 of 477	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.5	324 of 453	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	96.8	18 of 450	96.0%	★★★★★
2025	94.9	33 of 440	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	94.4	39 of 437	91.1%	★★★★★
2023	16.2	406 of 434	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.0	349 of 430	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	331 of 369	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.3	310 of 359	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.5	66 of 629	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	89.0	74 of 610	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	87.9	82 of 602	86.4%	★★★★☆
2023	10.5	545 of 588	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	533 of 594	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.8	423 of 475	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	414 of 449	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.6	56 of 474	88.2%	★★★★☆
2025	90.8	57 of 462	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	97.2	22 of 454	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	19.6	309 of 354	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.4	211 of 340	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.3	53 of 620	91.5%	★★★★★
2025	89.9	78 of 606	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	91.1	81 of 613	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	12.7	560 of 597	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.1	346 of 446	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	365 of 424	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.3	66 of 624	89.4%	★★★★☆
2025	83.8	118 of 601	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	92.1	68 of 607	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	6.5	462 of 488	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.3	428 of 463	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	23 of 551	95.8%	★★★★★
2025	93.7	13 of 542	97.6%	★★★★★
2024	91.9	37 of 553	93.3%	★★★★★

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)

African American (2026)96th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)96th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile~ school

Female (2026)90th percentile~ school

Male (2026)89th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)88th percentile~ school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III98%+29 vs state

English II97%+32 vs state

Biology90%+32 vs state

Math I72%+30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central Piedmont Early College

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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 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
Central Piedmont Early College	Public	9-12	1228 Elizabeth Avenue	Charlotte	28235	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-1118	278	10	27.8	41.4%	48 (17.3%)	114 (41.0%)	89 (32.0%)	15 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.3%)	90.4	72^nd of 662 public high schools	89.1%		88.5	88^th of 641 public high schools	86.3%	16	90.3	96.8	72.5	98.0						$18,854	$1,855	$16,999
Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences	Public, Magnet	9-12	1411 Hawthorne Ln	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-6011	239	18	13.2	—	12 (5.0%)	98 (41.0%)	109 (45.6%)	10 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.2%)	74	165^th of 662 public high schools	75.1%		28.1	472^nd of 641 public high schools	26.4%	307	75.9	81.5	65.1	80.0						$15,697	$1,485	$14,213
Military and Global Leadership	Public, Magnet	9-12	1411 Hawthorne Lane Ste A	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6011	71	9	7.8	95.8%	4 (5.6%)	27 (38.0%)	39 (54.9%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				35.7						$12,227	$794	$11,434
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
Northwest School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	9-12	1415 Beatties Ford Rd	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5500	993	62	15.9	38.1%	323 (32.5%)	432 (43.5%)	147 (14.8%)	12 (1.2%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.4%)	88.7	92^nd of 662 public high schools	86.1%		83.5	118^th of 641 public high schools	81.6%	26	85.0	94.7	81.0	94.1						$9,618	$478	$9,141
Garinger High School	Public	9-12	1100 Eastway Dr	Charlotte	28205	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(980) 343-6450	1,877	106	17.7	—	68 (3.6%)	578 (30.8%)	1,146 (61.1%)	52 (2.8%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (1.5%)	16	578^th of 662 public high schools	12.7%		10.9	595^th of 641 public high schools	7.2%	17	31.1	35.0	30.5	51.1						$10,714	$1,102	$9,612
Stewart Creek High	Public, Charter	9-12	2701-F Freedom Dr	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Stewart Creek High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(980) 500-3731	342	12	29.6	—	8 (2.3%)	183 (53.5%)	134 (39.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.8%)	2.3	645^th of 662 public high schools	2.6%		14.8	562^nd of 641 public high schools	12.3%	83	10.8	21.4
Williams Secondary Montessori	Public, Magnet	7-12	2400 Carmine St	Charlotte	28206	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-0040	401	28	14.5	19.7%	238 (59.4%)	87 (21.7%)	44 (11.0%)	18 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (3.2%)	83.9	117^th of 662 public high schools	82.3%		82.3	126^th of 641 public high schools	80.3%	9	77.3	90.9	87.5	84.3	79.1	62.4	88.4	89.5	89.5	$13,612	$958	$12,654
West Charlotte High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	2219 Senior Dr	Charlotte	28216	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(980) 343-6060	2,008	102	19.6	—	29 (1.4%)	1,499 (74.7%)	368 (18.3%)	60 (3.0%)	1 (0.0%)	1 (0.0%)	50 (2.5%)	34.5	442^nd of 662 public high schools	33.2%		25.1	495^th of 641 public high schools	22.8%	53	45.3	55.4	36.6	66.2						$12,290	$1,386	$10,904
Phillip O Berry Academy of Technology	Public, Magnet	9-12	1430 Alleghany St	Charlotte	28208	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(980) 343-5992	1,533	86	17.8	—	43 (2.8%)	945 (61.6%)	442 (28.8%)	58 (3.8%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (2.6%)	62	241^st of 662 public high schools	63.6%		55.7	259^th of 641 public high schools	59.6%	18	55.7	74.3	57.2	82.9						$8,885	$597	$8,288

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Piedmont Early College

What is the racial makeup of Central Piedmont Early College?

Students at Central Piedmont Early College are 41% African American, 32% Hispanic, 17% White, 5% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Central Piedmont Early College in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

How many students attend Central Piedmont Early College?

In the 2024-25 school year, 278 students attended Central Piedmont Early College.

Is Central Piedmont Early College a good school?

Central Piedmont Early College ranks 72^nd of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Central Piedmont Early College!

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

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

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

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 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.