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Northside High

Q: Is Northside High a good school?

Northside High ranks 416 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

416^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 37% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Northside High is a comprehensive public high school in Jacksonville, NC, serving about 1,067 students in grades 9–12 as part of Onslow County Schools. Statewide, the school currently ranks 416th of 662 high schools—the 37th percentile, earning a 2-star rating. That marks a striking change from about a decade ago, when Northside High was a 4-star school in the 80th percentile; since 2018-19, it has settled into a consistent 2-star plateau.

The picture inside the school is more mixed than the star rating suggests. Northside High's graduation rate of 93.7% is tied for the best among nearby comprehensive high schools with Jacksonville High and beats both the district and state averages. End-of-course proficiency, however, trails on Biology (36.7% proficient vs. 58.5% statewide), English II, and Math III—while Math I is a quiet bright spot, above both district and state. Chronic absenteeism has improved sharply from 43.8% a few years ago to 28.0%, though it still exceeds the state average. Nearby comparisons help put results in context: Jacksonville High, just 2.2 miles away, posts higher proficiency in every subject with the same graduation rate. Swansboro High and Dixon High, about 15 miles away, are the district's academic leaders. Onslow Early College, 1.3 miles away, ranks among the top 20 high schools in the state. Northside High outranks White Oak High, Richlands High, and Southwest High, even as it lags its closest neighbor.

There are genuine bright spots. English Learner and Special Education students have improved dramatically in recent years, ranking in the 81st and 61st percentiles respectively—better than most schools statewide. Attendance gains have not yet shown up in test scores, which can take time. Northside High also serves a higher-need population (54.8% free/reduced lunch) while spending less per student ($8,134) than nearly every other comprehensive high school in the county, despite having the lowest student-teacher ratio in the district. Poverty doesn't tell the full story: Southwest High, with similar poverty, posts far weaker outcomes. Overall, Northside is best understood as a high-graduation school with strong support for specific student groups and clear room to grow in Biology and English II.

1,067

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,134

Per pupil spending ?

54.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

365 Commons Drive South
Jacksonville, NC 28546

(910) 455-4868

District: Onslow County Schools

Feeder schools for Northside High:

Elementary:	Bell Fork Elementary
	Jacksonville Commons Elementary
Middle:	Jacksonville Commons Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

33.2%

White:

30.6%

Hispanic:

21.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Northside High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (54% vs 60% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 34 percentile points since 2016

!Biology scores 22 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

416^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 37%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to bottom 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7High Schools in the Onslow County Schools

136^th of 246Onslow County 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	38.3	416 of 662	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.7	372 of 641	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	398 of 640	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	338 of 626	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	401 of 621	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.2	320 of 594	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.0	254 of 514	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.8	100 of 469	78.7%	★★★★☆
2017	66.6	96 of 476	79.8%	★★★★☆
2016	52.8	149 of 507	70.6%	★★★★☆
2015	53.8	143 of 531	73.1%	★★★★☆
2014	41.8	208 of 451	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.0	152 of 505	69.9%	★★★★☆
2012	49.9	229 of 502	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.5	275 of 506	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.6	301 of 499	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	58.4	186 of 490	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.7	233 of 477	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.9	161 of 453	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.8	108 of 431	74.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	281 of 450	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.5	236 of 440	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.5	277 of 437	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.0	188 of 434	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.2	260 of 430	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	106 of 364	70.9%	★★★★☆
2019	54.4	100 of 369	72.9%	★★★★☆
2018	77.9	39 of 359	89.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	48.8	59 of 98	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.1	39 of 89	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	27.1	240 of 330	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.7	160 of 334	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.7	149 of 364	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	84.2	30 of 349	91.4%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.9	56 of 289	80.6%	★★★★☆
2025	63.5	42 of 273	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	26.8	217 of 262	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	434 of 629	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.9	354 of 610	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.7	396 of 602	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	327 of 588	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.6	369 of 594	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.8	173 of 475	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.2	265 of 475	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.5	134 of 449	70.2%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	298 of 407	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	339 of 412	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.0	275 of 403	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.0	183 of 403	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.5	191 of 398	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	199 of 337	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.8	128 of 325	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	201 of 474	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	181 of 462	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.9	229 of 454	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	123 of 449	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	49.0	185 of 436	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.1	64 of 370	82.7%	★★★★☆
2019	56.2	88 of 354	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	79.4	30 of 340	91.2%	★★★★★

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	46.8	23 of 44	47.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.1	412 of 620	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.4	322 of 606	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.5	385 of 613	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	266 of 597	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.9	274 of 544	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	122 of 432	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	53.1	117 of 446	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	71.5	58 of 424	86.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	385 of 624	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.2	365 of 601	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	381 of 607	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	353 of 602	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	401 of 585	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.5	264 of 481	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.0	235 of 488	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.1	80 of 463	82.7%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	36 of 70	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.4	32 of 53	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.3	28 of 49	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.5	31 of 48	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.2	41 of 47	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.9	24 of 41	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.3	18 of 33	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	11 of 32	65.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.4	79 of 265	70.2%	★★★★☆
2025	56.2	105 of 253	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	38.0	170 of 261	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	125 of 249	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.3	74 of 226	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.2	72 of 199	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.9	68 of 195	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	86.3	15 of 185	91.9%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	146 of 372	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.5	155 of 352	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.8	265 of 349	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.6	402 of 551	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.8	329 of 542	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.7	302 of 553	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	335 of 537	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.7	330 of 534	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.9	165 of 439	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.4	287 of 444	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	72.2	93 of 427	78.2%	★★★★☆

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)81st percentile+43 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)70th percentile+33 vs school

Special Education (2026)61st percentile+24 vs school

Hispanic (2026)58th percentile+20 vs school

Military Connected (2026)49th percentile+11 vs school

Homeless (2019)48th percentile-3 vs school

Asian (2023)40th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)38th percentile~ school

African American (2026)38th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)27th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)27th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III64%-5 vs state

English II60%-5 vs state

Math I45%+3 vs state

Biology37%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northside High

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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
Northside High	Public	9-12	365 Commons Drive South	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-4868	1,067	62	17.2	54.8%	327 (30.6%)	354 (33.2%)	227 (21.3%)	32 (3.0%)	3 (0.3%)	7 (0.7%)	117 (11.0%)	38.3	416^th of 662 public high schools	37.2%		40.7	372^nd of 641 public high schools	42.0%	44	36.7	59.5	45.5	63.5								$8,134	$893	$7,241
Onslow Early College	Public	9-12	444 Western Blvd	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 938-6702	189	7	29.0	24.3%	134 (70.9%)	10 (5.3%)	22 (11.6%)	4 (2.1%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.1%)	16 (8.5%)	93.9	16^th of 662 public high schools	97.6%		97.1	2^nd of 641 public high schools	99.7%	14	100.0	563.7		100.0								$7,881	$227	$7,654
Jacksonville High	Public	9-12	1021 Henderson Dr	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 989-2048	1,441	78	18.4	47.4%	634 (44.0%)	363 (25.2%)	268 (18.6%)	16 (1.1%)	4 (0.3%)	5 (0.3%)	151 (10.5%)	52.4	315^th of 662 public high schools	52.4%		54.3	266^th of 641 public high schools	58.5%	49	52.9	71.3	55.0	67.0								$9,620	$623	$8,997
White Oak High	Public	9-12	1001 Piney Green Rd	Jacksonville	28546	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-1541	1,252	65	19.2	48.4%	579 (46.2%)	285 (22.8%)	218 (17.4%)	11 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (0.7%)	148 (11.8%)	33.6	451^st of 662 public high schools	31.9%		32.9	426^th of 641 public high schools	33.5%	25	48.7	54.9	41.5	56.5								$8,944	$872	$8,071
Southwest High	Public	9-12	1420 Burgaw Hwy	Jacksonville	28540	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-4888	803	42	18.9	57.3%	424 (52.8%)	165 (20.5%)	113 (14.1%)	10 (1.2%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	84 (10.5%)	17.9	568^th of 662 public high schools	14.2%		18.1	538^th of 641 public high schools	16.1%	30	40.4	55.7	16.5	31.9								$10,201	$909	$9,291
Richlands High	Public	9-12	8100 Richlands Hwy	Richlands	28574	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 324-4191	1,027	57	18.0	43.4%	692 (67.4%)	90 (8.8%)	152 (14.8%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	84 (8.2%)	29.7	480^th of 662 public high schools	27.5%		42.6	355^th of 641 public high schools	44.6%	125	39.6	53.9	33.2	63.3								$9,531	$648	$8,883
Swansboro High	Public	9-12	161 Queens Creek Rd	Swansboro	28584	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 326-4300	1,232	65	18.8	36.7%	851 (69.1%)	71 (5.8%)	170 (13.8%)	11 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	125 (10.1%)	73.1	172^nd of 662 public high schools	74.0%		67.1	188^th of 641 public high schools	70.7%	16	68.3	80.7	68.6	82.7								$9,312	$763	$8,549
Dixon High	Public	9-12	160 Dixon School Rd	Holly Ridge	28445	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 347-2958	1,085	57	18.8	30.9%	785 (72.4%)	41 (3.8%)	179 (16.5%)	9 (0.8%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (5.9%)	65.7	214^th of 662 public high schools	67.7%		67.1	187^th of 641 public high schools	70.8%	27	77.8	74.5	46.2	79.8								$9,119	$727	$8,392
Jones Senior High School	Public	6-12	1378 Hwy 58 South	Trenton	28585	Jones County	Jones County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 448-2451	495	34	14.6	—	219 (44.2%)	160 (32.3%)	79 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.5%)	23.3	534^th of 662 public high schools	19.3%		32.8	427^th of 641 public high schools	33.4%	107	40.8	43.9	45.8	42.4	45.1	41.7	50.0	47.6	56.7	51.6	60.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Northside High

How many students attend Northside High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,067 students attended Northside High.

What district is Northside High in?

Onslow County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Northside High?

Students at Northside High are 33% African American, 31% White, 21% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into Northside High?

Northside High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bell Fork Elementary
Elementary : Jacksonville Commons Elementary
Middle : Jacksonville Commons Middle

Is Northside High a good school?

Northside High ranks 416^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.