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Ardrey Kell High School

Q: Is Ardrey Kell High School a good school?

Ardrey Kell High School ranks 112 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 83% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Ardrey Kell High School is a comprehensive public high school in south Charlotte, NC, serving 3,036 students in grades 9–12 as part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. For the 2025–2026 school year, Ardrey Kell ranks #112 out of 662 North Carolina high schools, earning a 4-star rating in the 83rd percentile. That's a noticeable step down from its glory days a decade ago, when it was once ranked as high as #4 in the state and held a 5-star designation. Today it's a strong, dependable school, but no longer the elite academic powerhouse it used to be.

Where Ardrey Kell truly stands out is in supporting students who often need extra help. Its English Language Learner students rank #4 out of 289 schools statewide, and its special education students rank #12 out of 372 schools — both results are in the top few percent of North Carolina. Test scores are also well above state averages, with proficiency rates running 19 to 32 points higher across Biology, English II, Math I, and Math III. However, Math I is a clear weak point: only 73.7% of students are proficient, compared with over 84% at nearby Providence High School and Marvin Ridge High.

Being in one of the Charlotte region's most competitive school corridors means Ardrey Kell faces tough comparisons. Weddington High and Cuthbertson High both outrank it, and Providence has overtaken it in recent years. Chronic absenteeism runs 16.1%, which is far better than the district's 26.8%, but noticeably higher than Marvin Ridge's 5.4% or Cuthbertson's 8.4%. For a school with a low free/reduced-lunch rate, that's an underappreciated concern. Overall, Ardrey Kell is still a very good school — especially for families valuing exceptional ELL and special education programs — but it's no longer the undisputed top choice in this neighborhood.

3,036

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

14.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

10220 Ardrey Kell Road
Charlotte, NC 28277-4328

(980) 343-0860

District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Feeder schools for Ardrey Kell High School:

Elementary:	Ballantyne Elementary
	Elon Park Elementary
	Hawk Ridge Elementary
	Polo Ridge Elementary
	More...
	Rea Farms STEAM Academy
Middle:	Community House Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.8%

Asian:

33.3%

Hispanic:

12.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Ardrey Kell High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (86% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school86%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg60%

112^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From top 3% (2016) to top 17% (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	84.4	112 of 662	83.1%	★★★★☆
2025	87.0	98 of 641	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.7	110 of 640	82.8%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	88 of 626	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	89.6	80 of 621	87.1%	★★★★☆
2021	89.8	71 of 594	88.0%	★★★★☆
2019	91.7	19 of 514	96.3%	★★★★★
2018	93.8	9 of 469	98.1%	★★★★★
2017	93.7	4 of 476	99.2%	★★★★★
2016	87.4	15 of 507	97.0%	★★★★★
2015	88.3	13 of 531	97.6%	★★★★★
2014	93.2	4 of 451	99.1%	★★★★★
2013	85.8	10 of 505	98.0%	★★★★★
2012	77.9	25 of 502	95.0%	★★★★★
2011	82.7	12 of 506	97.6%	★★★★★
2010	81.4	13 of 499	97.4%	★★★★★
2009	77.0	35 of 490	92.9%	★★★★★
2008	86.2	4 of 477	99.2%	★★★★★
2007	84.2	16 of 453	96.5%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.7	66 of 450	85.3%	★★★★☆
2025	88.2	50 of 440	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.6	70 of 437	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	85.1	63 of 434	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	88.8	49 of 430	88.6%	★★★★☆
2021	92.2	15 of 364	95.9%	★★★★★
2019	93.3	14 of 369	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	95.1	11 of 359	96.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.2	25 of 103	75.7%	★★★★☆
2025	82.5	19 of 106	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	17 of 101	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	9 of 98	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	86.1	7 of 91	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	85.9	8 of 83	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	87.2	6 of 89	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	88.2	2 of 77	97.4%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	89.4	18 of 330	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	95.7	6 of 334	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	98.3	5 of 364	98.6%	★★★★★
2018	92.6	14 of 349	96.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	98.3	4 of 289	98.6%	★★★★★
2025	98.6	5 of 273	98.2%	★★★★★
2024	98.6	4 of 262	98.5%	★★★★★
2023	99.2	5 of 226	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.6	3 of 156	98.1%	★★★★★
2021	99.7	2 of 124	98.4%	★★★★★
2019	99.8	2 of 173	98.8%	★★★★★
2018	99.1	2 of 147	98.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.6	108 of 629	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	88.3	77 of 610	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	87.0	89 of 602	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	87.4	79 of 588	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	89.4	65 of 594	89.1%	★★★★☆
2021	90.4	23 of 475	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	91.4	14 of 475	97.1%	★★★★★
2018	92.5	12 of 449	97.3%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	94 of 412	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	78.2	57 of 403	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	104 of 403	74.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.6	79 of 474	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	82.7	83 of 462	82.0%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	81 of 454	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	89 of 449	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	86.5	63 of 436	85.6%	★★★★☆
2021	85.8	19 of 370	94.9%	★★★★★
2019	94.6	10 of 354	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	92.1	13 of 340	96.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.4	144 of 620	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	134 of 606	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	132 of 613	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	117 of 597	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	73 of 544	86.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	25 of 432	94.2%	★★★★★
2019	88.6	16 of 446	96.4%	★★★★★
2018	88.3	21 of 424	95.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	115 of 624	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	84.5	111 of 601	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	118 of 607	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	88.2	95 of 602	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	89.6	84 of 585	85.6%	★★★★☆
2021	88.9	29 of 481	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	91.6	19 of 488	96.1%	★★★★★
2018	94.9	12 of 463	97.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.4	56 of 265	78.9%	★★★★☆
2025	63.8	79 of 253	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	83.6	28 of 261	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	75.2	47 of 249	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	93.9	8 of 226	96.5%	★★★★★
2021	83.7	22 of 199	88.9%	★★★★☆
2019	90.5	12 of 195	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	91.5	7 of 185	96.2%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	12 of 372	96.8%	★★★★★
2025	91.1	9 of 352	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.2	8 of 349	97.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	75.3	146 of 551	73.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.2	126 of 542	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	113 of 553	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.8	80 of 537	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	86.1	80 of 534	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	85.7	26 of 439	94.1%	★★★★★
2019	88.2	19 of 444	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	92.0	8 of 427	98.1%	★★★★★

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)

English Language Learner (2026)99th percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2026)97th percentile+14 vs school

Disabled (2022)95th percentile+7 vs school

African American (2026)85th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)79th percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)77th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)77th percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2026)76th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)74th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II88%+24 vs state

Math III88%+19 vs state

Biology85%+27 vs state

Math I74%+32 vs state

4.5

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I can say with complete honesty that this school is the best I've ever encountered as an employee. Everyone seems to genuinely care about every single one of the students. The administration is without a doubt the best I've ever worked for!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, June 20, 2011

Great staff and wonderful administration! Close Quote

Schools Near Ardrey Kell 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
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
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
Marvin Ridge High	Public	9-12	2825 Crane Road	Waxhaw	28173	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 290-1520	1,961	97	20.3	4.3%	1,193 (60.8%)	88 (4.5%)	97 (4.9%)	487 (24.8%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	91 (4.6%)	92	49^th of 662 public high schools	92.6%		93.9	38^th of 641 public high schools	94.1%	11	91.6	97.9	87.9	97.3								$7,144	$260	$6,884
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
Weddington High	Public	9-12	4901 Monroe-Weddington Road	Matthews	28104	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 296-6319	1,899	86	22.1	8.1%	1,207 (63.6%)	127 (6.7%)	162 (8.5%)	328 (17.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (3.9%)	90	76^th of 662 public high schools	88.5%		91.4	64^th of 641 public high schools	90.0%	12	90.0	93.9	85.4	94.3								$7,418	$423	$6,995
Cuthbertson High	Public	9-12	1400 Cuthbertson Rd	Waxhaw	28173	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 296-0105	1,857	82	22.7	10.2%	1,324 (71.3%)	112 (6.0%)	175 (9.4%)	171 (9.2%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	70 (3.8%)	85.6	101^st of 662 public high schools	84.7%		87.4	94^th of 641 public high schools	85.3%	7	84.4	93.2	69.4	90.4								$7,116	$416	$6,700
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
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
South Providence	Public	6-12	500 South Providence Street	Waxhaw	28173	Union County	Union County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 290-1580	91	21	4.3	96.7%	23 (25.3%)	44 (48.4%)	15 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (9.9%)								(n/a)	338.9	535.1	537.2	541.4	9.1	25.0	7.1	9.1	25.0	542.8	11.1	$32,317	$2,219	$30,098
Levine Middle College High School	Public	11-12	2800 Campus Ridge Rd	Matthews	28235	Mecklenburg County	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	No	No	No	No	(980) 343-9437	216	5	43.2	19.4%	118 (54.6%)	23 (10.6%)	31 (14.4%)	36 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)								(n/a)				94.7								$7,540	$287	$7,253

Frequently Asked Questions about Ardrey Kell High School

What district is Ardrey Kell High School in?

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Is Ardrey Kell High School a good school?

Ardrey Kell High School ranks 112^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ardrey Kell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 3,036 students attended Ardrey Kell High School.

What schools feed into Ardrey Kell High School?

Ardrey Kell High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ballantyne Elementary
Elementary : Elon Park Elementary
Elementary : Hawk Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Polo Ridge Elementary
Elementary : Rea Farms STEAM Academy
Middle : Community House Middle

What is the racial makeup of Ardrey Kell High School?

Students at Ardrey Kell High School are 41% White, 33% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 11% African American, 3% Two or more races.

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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.