Nash Early College High School

Nash Early College High School in Rocky Mount, NC, is a small public high school serving 376 students in grades 9–12 as part of Nash County Public Schools, yet it stands out as one of the strongest academic performers in the entire state.

Nash Early holds a 5-star rating and is ranked 26th out of 662 North Carolina high schools, placing it in the 96th percentile — and it has climbed every year since 2021–2022, from 103rd to 82nd to 73rd to 42nd and now 26th. Classroom results back up the ranking: 93.7% of students scored proficient on the Biology end-of-course exam, 99.0% on English II, 90.0% on Math I, and 99.9% on Math III in 2025–2026, beating state averages by roughly 31 to 48 percentage points in every subject. This is not a one-year fluke — proficiency in all four subjects has risen steadily over the past three years, including a jump in Math I from 59.4% to 90%.

The school also posts exceptional results for students who are often underserved elsewhere. Its effectiveness with African American students ranks 5th out of 450 schools statewide, its work with low-socioeconomic-status students ranks 18th out of 620, and its results for male, female, White, Hispanic, and gifted students all land between the 92nd and 98th percentiles. Chronic absenteeism was just 6.8% when the district and state were near 35.6% and 31.1%. Nearby comprehensive schools tell a very different story: Northern Nash High and Nash Central High score roughly 34–76% proficient on the same exams, while CITI High School, located next door, is strong in some subjects but lags badly in English II. Nash Early achieves all of this while spending about $6,841 per student — far less than neighboring high schools — making it a remarkably efficient model. Families should understand that, as an application-based early college, it does not serve every student in the district, and the achievement gap between this campus and its neighbors is the area's most pressing concern.