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Hillsborough Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

103^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Hillsborough Elementary is a public school in Hillsborough, NC, serving approximately 435 students in grades PK–5 as part of Orange County Schools. The school has earned a 5-star rating and ranked 103rd out of 1,492 elementary schools in North Carolina (93rd percentile) — a position it has held consistently for five consecutive years. This isn't a one-year anomaly; the school hasn't ranked below 108th in the state since 2021-2022, placing it in the top 8% of all North Carolina elementary schools.

Academically, Hillsborough Elementary posts scores well above district and state averages in every tested subject. For example, 3rd-grade math proficiency is 87.5% (district average: 70.1%), 5th-grade reading is 81.1% (district average: 61.4%), and 5th-grade science is 82.4% (district average: 73.3%). The school also stands out for extraordinarily low chronic absenteeism at 9.1% — less than half the district average of 25.3%. Another distinguishing strength is special education: Hillsborough ranked 5th in the entire state for special education student performance, suggesting very effective supports for students with disabilities.

Parents comparing nearby options should note that Central Elementary, located just 0.23 miles away, ranks in the 30th percentile — a stark contrast to Hillsborough's 93rd. In the broader local landscape, The Expedition School and Morris Grove Elementary are also 5-star schools, yet Hillsborough holds its own and outperforms Morris Grove in 3rd-grade math. One area worth monitoring: Hillsborough's economically disadvantaged students have seen their ranking decline over three years (from the 80th to 42nd percentile), and gifted students dropped from the 78th to 61st percentile. Even so, Hillsborough Elementary remains one of the strongest, most reliable public school options in the region.

435

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

17.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

402 North Nash Street
Hillsborough, NC 27278

(919) 732-6137

District: Orange County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.5%

Hispanic:

6.9%

Two or more races:

6.7%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Hillsborough Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 85th percentile in 2016 → 93rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (82% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg61%

103^rd of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 246Orange 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	90.8	103 of 1492	93.1%	★★★★★
2025	90.8	98 of 1490	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	90.6	108 of 1505	92.8%	★★★★★
2023	89.9	107 of 1502	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	106 of 1514	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	86.8	166 of 1489	88.9%	★★★★☆
2019	83.6	183 of 1473	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	240 of 1434	83.3%	★★★★☆
2017	78.5	249 of 1429	82.6%	★★★★☆
2016	80.5	216 of 1425	84.8%	★★★★☆
2015	76.1	302 of 1440	79.0%	★★★★☆
2014	84.0	182 of 1390	86.9%	★★★★☆
2013	88.7	119 of 1403	91.5%	★★★★★
2012	81.8	171 of 1388	87.7%	★★★★☆
2011	75.5	281 of 1381	79.7%	★★★★☆
2010	79.6	207 of 1363	84.8%	★★★★☆
2009	80.7	188 of 1354	86.1%	★★★★☆
2008	80.1	180 of 1324	86.4%	★★★★☆
2007	80.6	165 of 1293	87.2%	★★★★☆
2006	87.0	82 of 1276	93.6%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	58.3	332 of 949	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.1	118 of 927	87.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	51.4	346 of 878	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.1	191 of 897	78.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.5	101 of 1447	93.0%	★★★★★
2025	89.0	105 of 1451	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	90.5	91 of 1455	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	92.5	61 of 1459	95.8%	★★★★★
2022	87.2	130 of 1458	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	77.3	265 of 1440	81.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.6	218 of 1424	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	133 of 1405	90.5%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	293 of 743	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.7	156 of 710	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	170 of 669	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	61.0	255 of 582	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.2	417 of 500	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	58.7	255 of 494	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.0	242 of 612	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.9	837 of 1434	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.8	465 of 1437	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.7	291 of 1450	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.4	247 of 1437	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	251 of 1366	81.6%	★★★★☆
2019	46.2	770 of 1361	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.7	1134 of 1332	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.2	100 of 1451	93.1%	★★★★★
2025	89.0	105 of 1450	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	88.1	126 of 1464	91.4%	★★★★★
2023	83.5	174 of 1461	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	88.4	120 of 1464	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	89.7	109 of 1444	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	84.6	167 of 1430	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	372 of 1413	73.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.4	5 of 815	99.4%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	47 of 821	94.3%	★★★★★
2024	89.2	39 of 801	95.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.0	211 of 1146	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	74.8	255 of 1172	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.4	205 of 1166	82.4%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	182 of 1183	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	79.0	204 of 1194	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	72.4	281 of 1172	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	295 of 1183	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.0	435 of 1178	63.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)99th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

White (2026)82nd percentile-12 vs school

African American (2019)65th percentile-23 vs school

Disabled (2019)61st percentile-27 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)61st percentile-33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)42nd percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics86%+22 vs state

Science82%+15 vs state

Reading78%+22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hillsborough Elementary

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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)				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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hillsborough Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	402 North Nash Street	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-6137	435	30	14.6	17.5%	337 (77.5%)	28 (6.4%)	30 (6.9%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	90.8	103^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.1%		90.8	98^th of 1490 public elementary schools	93.4%	5	87.5	82.6	86.5				76.7	75.4	81.1				82.4		$11,531	$386	$11,145
Central Elementary	Public	K-5	154 Hayes St	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-3622	261	23	11.1	98.9%	105 (40.2%)	72 (27.6%)	63 (24.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	33.4	1038^th of 1492 public elementary schools	30.4%		34.1	1017^th of 1490 public elementary schools	31.7%	21	48.6	58.7	47.5				43.2	43.5	52.5				65.0		$14,465	$1,168	$13,297
The Expedition School	Public, Charter	K-8	437 Dimmocks Mill Rd Ste 33	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	The Expedition School	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 245-8432	380	29	13.1		282 (74.2%)	14 (3.7%)	37 (9.7%)	17 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.4%)	94.5	52^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	96.5%		95.1	52^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	96.5%		78.0	97.7	81.4	90.7	97.6	97.4	90.2	90.9	86.0	90.7	97.6	94.7	90.7	100.0
River Park Elementary	Public	K-5	240 St. Mary's Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9326	523	36	14.4	37.5%	309 (59.1%)	27 (5.2%)	131 (25.0%)	10 (1.9%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	76.5	296^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.2%		81	234^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.3%	62	66.3	75.0	80.9				66.3	70.0	67.0				76.6		$10,994	$454	$10,540
Pathways Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	431 Strouds Creek Road	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 732-9136	371	27	13.7	54.4%	204 (55.0%)	66 (17.8%)	57 (15.4%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.0%)	83.5	198^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.7%		80.8	238^th of 1490 public elementary schools	84.0%	40	80.4	82.5	75.5				67.4	65.0	71.4				89.8		$14,700	$1,138	$13,561
Grady Brown Elementary	Public	K-5	1100 New Grady Brown Rd	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 732-6138	406	31	13.2	59.6%	170 (41.9%)	46 (11.3%)	146 (36.0%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.6%)	58.3	610^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.1%		49.3	757^th of 1490 public elementary schools	49.2%	147	66.7	67.7	65.7				55.6	64.5	52.9				67.1		$12,441	$1,012	$11,429
Efland Cheeks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Fuller Rd	Efland	27243	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 245-4042	532	36	14.7	99.4%	175 (32.9%)	129 (24.2%)	154 (28.9%)	26 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.8%)	63.4	529^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.5%		61.9	533^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	64.2%	4	67.4	82.4	65.6				51.7	75.3	54.2				68.0		$11,292	$882	$10,410
New Hope Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 New Hope Church Rd	Chapel Hill	27514	Orange County	Orange County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 942-9696	528	46	11.5	99.1%	142 (26.9%)	62 (11.7%)	273 (51.7%)	10 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	48.6	756^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.3%		47.4	791^st of 1490 public elementary schools	46.9%	35	68.6	70.2	65.3				43.0	46.8	50.7				66.7		$13,203	$1,160	$12,043
Carolina Achieve	Public, Charter	K-2	6920 West Ten Rd	Mebane	27302	Alamance County	Carolina Achieve	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(919) 964-2158	0																		(n/a)
Morris Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	215 Eubanks Rd	Chapel Hill	27516	Orange County	Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 918-4800	383	32	12.1	22.5%	211 (55.1%)	30 (7.8%)	54 (14.1%)	56 (14.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.8%)	91.2	97^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.5%		93.5	67^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.5%	30	81.4	85.9	83.3				77.1	79.7	83.3				86.4		$12,863	$298	$12,565

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillsborough Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Hillsborough Elementary?

Students at Hillsborough Elementary are 77% White, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% Asian.

What district is Hillsborough Elementary in?

Orange County Schools

Is Hillsborough Elementary a good school?

Yes. Hillsborough Elementary ranks in the top 6.9% of North Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Hillsborough Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 435 students attended Hillsborough Elementary.

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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.