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North Rowan High

Public Grades 9-12

617^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 4% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

North Rowan High is a public high school in Spencer, North Carolina, serving 592 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools district, which is ranked 207 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Rowan High consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages on end-of-course exams. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 21.1% of students were proficient or better in Biology EOC, compared to 30% for the district and 48.3% for the state. Similarly, in Math III EOC, North Rowan High had only 13.5% proficiency, while the district and state had 41% and 66.4%, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rate of 87-88% is also slightly below the state average. North Rowan High has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of high schools in North Carolina, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

While North Rowan High's per-student spending of $12,425 in 2018-2019 was higher than nearby schools, the school's challenges may be more deeply rooted in factors such as student demographics and school leadership. Nearby schools in the Rowan-Salisbury district, such as South Rowan High, West Rowan High, and Carson High, generally perform better on academic measures, while the Rowan County Early College stands out as a high-performing school within the district. Despite the challenges, there may be opportunities for North Rowan High to improve through targeted interventions and support for struggling students.

555

Students ?

20.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,425

Per pupil spending ?

0.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 North Whitehead Ave
Spencer, NC 28159-2437

(704) 636-4420

District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools

Feeder schools for North Rowan High:

Elementary:	Dole Elementary
	North Rowan Elementary
Middle:	North Rowan Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.6%

Hispanic:

31.9%

White:

21.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare North Rowan High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 13th percentile in 2015 → 4th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (22% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg39%

North Carolina avg58%

617^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7High Schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools

207^th of 242Rowan-Salisbury 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
2025	5.9	617 of 641	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.8	621 of 640	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	612 of 626	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.1	575 of 621	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	545 of 594	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	465 of 514	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.0	431 of 469	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	13.6	402 of 476	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	8.1	448 of 507	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	7.9	464 of 531	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	3.6	442 of 451	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.3	435 of 505	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	12.4	443 of 502	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.2	429 of 506	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	15.4	441 of 499	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.6	386 of 490	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.4	364 of 477	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	29.1	348 of 453	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	32.0	338 of 431	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	7.0	435 of 440	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.7	434 of 437	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.6	427 of 434	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.4	366 of 430	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.9	330 of 364	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.5	346 of 369	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.9	354 of 359	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	25.8	274 of 334	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	266 of 364	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.4	99 of 349	71.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	15.0	170 of 173	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	3.1	600 of 610	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.8	595 of 602	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	585 of 588	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	547 of 594	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.5	442 of 475	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.4	463 of 475	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.0	423 of 449	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	26.3	285 of 325	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.5	91 of 100	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.5	456 of 462	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	451 of 454	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.3	447 of 449	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.4	425 of 436	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	336 of 370	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	207 of 354	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.1	259 of 340	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	585 of 606	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.6	598 of 613	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.8	587 of 597	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	486 of 544	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.7	369 of 432	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	417 of 446	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.8	392 of 424	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	7.2	582 of 601	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.4	593 of 607	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	583 of 602	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.0	559 of 585	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.3	446 of 481	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	448 of 488	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.3	442 of 463	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	12.2	250 of 261	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.5	249 of 249	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.7	223 of 226	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.9	147 of 199	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	5.7	526 of 542	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.4	545 of 553	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	526 of 537	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	518 of 534	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.7	427 of 439	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	429 of 444	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.2	412 of 427	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2021)18th percentile+10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)12th percentile+3 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)3rd percentile~ school

White (2025)3rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2019)2nd percentile-8 vs school

Female (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school

African American (2025)1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English II30%-29 vs state

Biology21%-27 vs state

Math III14%-53 vs state

★

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Schools Near North Rowan 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Reading (2025)		EOG Science (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 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
North Rowan High	Public	9-12	300 North Whitehead Ave	Spencer	28159	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 636-4420	555	28	20.0	0.5%	117 (21.1%)	214 (38.6%)	177 (31.9%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.3%)	5.9	617^th of 641 public high schools	3.7%		4.8	621^st of 640 public high schools	3.0%	4	21.1	30.1		13.5				$12,425	$1,166	$11,259
Henderson High	Public	6-12	1215 North Main St	Salisbury	28144	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(704) 639-3134	71	7	10.2	95.8%	15 (21.1%)	38 (53.5%)	7 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (15.5%)								(n/a)		12.5			7.1	12.5	12.5	$25,678	$1,458	$24,220
Salisbury High	Public	9-12	500 Lincolnton Rd	Salisbury	28144	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 636-1221	930	47	19.5	99.7%	139 (14.9%)	401 (43.1%)	320 (34.4%)	12 (1.3%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.6%)	11.9	586^th of 641 public high schools	8.6%		10.8	587^th of 640 public high schools	8.3%	1	26.7	35.7	15.8	22.3				$11,029	$745	$10,284
Rowan County Early College	Public	9-12	1333 Jake Alexander Blvd S	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 216-3873	235	7	32.9	98.7%	93 (39.6%)	31 (13.2%)	91 (38.7%)	10 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	88	91^st of 641 public high schools	85.8%		82.8	121^st of 640 public high schools	81.1%	30	77.2	89.5	68.6	90.5				$7,268	$298	$6,970
East Rowan High	Public	9-12	175 St Luke's Church Rd	Salisbury	28146	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 279-5232	986	49	20.0	98.4%	703 (71.3%)	121 (12.3%)	97 (9.8%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (6.2%)	32.3	431^st of 641 public high schools	32.8%		31.3	436^th of 640 public high schools	31.9%	5	37.0	50.0	16.5	64.6				$9,575	$985	$8,590
West Davidson High	Public	9-12	200 Dragon Drive	Lexington	27295	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 853-8082	740	42	17.6	56.6%	585 (79.1%)	33 (4.5%)	88 (11.9%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.2%)	42.5	356^th of 641 public high schools	44.5%		32	433^rd of 640 public high schools	32.3%	77	50.0	54.1	23.8	67.8				$8,366	$319	$8,047
Carson High	Public	9-12	290 Kress Venture Dr	China Grove	28023	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 855-7297	1,063	46	22.9	99.7%	677 (63.7%)	67 (6.3%)	253 (23.8%)	12 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (5.1%)	44.2	343^rd of 641 public high schools	46.5%		24.8	487^th of 640 public high schools	23.9%	144	35.0	59.4	48.8	61.6				$8,570	$767	$7,803
West Rowan High	Public	9-12	8050 NC 801 Hwy	Mount Ulla	28125	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 278-9233	988	46	21.6	99.7%	497 (50.3%)	180 (18.2%)	221 (22.4%)	11 (1.1%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	74 (7.5%)	11.8	588^th of 641 public high schools	8.3%		11.5	580^th of 640 public high schools	9.4%	8	17.6	42.9	10.1	30.3				$9,333	$909	$8,424
Central Davidson High	Public	9-12	2747 NC Hwy 47	Lexington	27292	Davidson County	Davidson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 357-2920	897	50	17.7	55.1%	663 (73.9%)	45 (5.0%)	137 (15.3%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.7%)	41.2	367^th of 641 public high schools	42.7%		34	411^th of 640 public high schools	35.8%	44	44.7	49.0	27.4	71.7				$8,319	$521	$7,798
South Rowan High	Public	9-12	1655 Patterson St	China Grove	28023	Rowan County	Rowan-Salisbury Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 857-1161	932	43	21.5	99.7%	552 (59.2%)	85 (9.1%)	230 (24.7%)	9 (1.0%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	50 (5.4%)	16.2	552^nd of 641 public high schools	13.9%		11.9	578^th of 640 public high schools	9.7%	26	32.0	38.3	15.0	37.0				$9,584	$1,002	$8,582

Frequently Asked Questions about North Rowan High

How many students attend North Rowan High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 555 students attended North Rowan High.

Is North Rowan High a good school?

North Rowan High ranks in the bottom 3.7% of North Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of North Rowan High?

Students at North Rowan High are 39% African American, 32% Hispanic, 21% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is North Rowan High in?

Rowan-Salisbury Schools

What schools feed into North Rowan High?

North Rowan High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dole Elementary
Elementary : North Rowan Elementary
Middle : North Rowan Middle

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

2023–24 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 4, 2024

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.