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Carson High

Q: Is Carson High a good school?

Carson High ranks 298 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Carson High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,063 students attended Carson High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Carson High?

Students at Carson High are 64% White, 24% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Carson High?

Carson High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bostian Elementary Elementary : China Grove Elementary Middle : Southeast Middle

Public Grades 9-12

298^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 55% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Carson High is a comprehensive public high school in China Grove, NC, serving 1,063 students in grades 9–12 as part of Rowan-Salisbury Schools. Though the district ranks in the bottom quintile of North Carolina districts, Carson earned a 3-star state ranking (55th percentile) for 2025-2026 — a sharp rebound from a 1-star rating just two years earlier.

Carson's greatest strengths are its End-of-Course test scores and graduation rate. Biology proficiency reached 91.5% (vs. 43.6% district and 58.5% state), Math I hit 63.7%, and Math III reached 65.5% — all well above district averages. The graduation rate of 92.7% tops both district (86.6%) and state (88.8%) averages. Among the district's traditional public high schools, Carson ranks first, ahead of East Rowan High, South Rowan High, Salisbury High, and Henderson High. Its Math I proficiency even nearly matches Northwest Cabarrus High (65.9%) despite serving a much more economically disadvantaged population.

These results are especially notable given that 99.7% of Carson's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has shown broad-based improvement for historically underserved groups: African American students now rank in the 72nd percentile statewide (up from the 26th), special education students in the 53rd, and low-income students in the 55th (up from the 16th). Chronic absenteeism improved to 29.8% — better than the district's 34.2% and far below the 53.0% at Salisbury High. The main concerns are a sharp decline in English Learner outcomes (from the 60th to 8th percentile) and a student-teacher ratio that has risen to 22.9. Overall, Carson High appears to be one of the more effective high-poverty schools in the region, delivering strong results at lower per-student spending than most of its district peers.

1,063

Students ?

22.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,570

Per pupil spending ?

99.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

290 Kress Venture Dr
China Grove, NC 28023

(704) 855-7297

District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools

Feeder schools for Carson High:

Elementary:	Bostian Elementary
	China Grove Elementary
Middle:	Southeast Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.7%

Hispanic:

23.8%

African American:

6.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Carson High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 24th percentile in 2024 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (65% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓93% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 55th (2026) from a 24th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg42%

North Carolina avg60%

298^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 45%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7High Schools in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools

199^th of 246Rowan-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
2026	53.7	298 of 662	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.2	343 of 641	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	487 of 640	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.8	470 of 626	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.0	354 of 621	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.6	317 of 594	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	265 of 514	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.9	215 of 469	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	41.1	237 of 476	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.2	194 of 507	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.3	215 of 531	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.4	175 of 451	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.1	145 of 505	71.3%	★★★★☆
2012	58.0	167 of 502	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	59.3	193 of 506	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.6	174 of 499	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.2	213 of 490	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.8	100 of 477	79.0%	★★★★☆
2007	61.1	131 of 453	71.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.0	128 of 450	71.6%	★★★★☆
2025	36.9	260 of 440	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.6	324 of 437	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	317 of 434	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	257 of 430	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.4	156 of 364	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.9	224 of 369	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.2	85 of 359	76.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	28.4	235 of 330	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	230 of 334	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	213 of 364	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.5	115 of 349	67.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.7	267 of 289	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	47.6	109 of 273	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.5	136 of 173	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.3	55 of 147	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	265 of 629	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.9	317 of 610	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.5	431 of 602	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.8	454 of 588	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.2	346 of 594	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.4	236 of 475	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.7	220 of 475	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.8	214 of 449	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.0	110 of 407	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	78.3	62 of 412	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	23.6	362 of 403	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	374 of 403	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	41.3	296 of 398	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.2	180 of 337	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.6	247 of 474	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	258 of 462	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.6	395 of 454	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	409 of 449	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	38.1	254 of 436	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.3	239 of 370	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.2	244 of 354	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	226 of 340	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	281 of 620	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	37.8	349 of 606	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.1	512 of 613	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	485 of 597	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.2	279 of 544	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.8	126 of 432	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	37.0	236 of 446	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.7	217 of 424	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	319 of 624	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.0	350 of 601	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.2	498 of 607	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	457 of 602	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.2	356 of 585	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.2	216 of 481	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.3	294 of 488	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.7	239 of 463	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.2	86 of 265	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	18.9	230 of 261	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.7	191 of 249	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.5	215 of 226	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	171 of 199	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.7	172 of 195	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	134 of 185	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	175 of 372	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.5	170 of 352	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.1	258 of 349	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	302 of 551	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	348 of 542	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.1	486 of 553	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	478 of 537	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	391 of 534	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.6	248 of 439	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.3	299 of 444	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	292 of 427	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)73rd percentile+18 vs school

African American (2026)72nd percentile+17 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)68th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)58th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)55th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)49th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)48th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2022)29th percentile-14 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)8th percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Biology92%+33 vs state

Math III66%-3 vs state

Math I64%+22 vs state

English II57%-8 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Jesse Carson High is making significant strides in all areas. Our arts program, athletic program, and our overall academic program is on the move. We have a great mix of faculty, from veteran staffers to some great young teachers. Close Quote

Schools Near Carson 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/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	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 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	53.7	298^th of 662 public high schools	55.0%		44.2	343^rd of 641 public high schools	46.5%	45	91.5	56.7	63.7	65.5				$8,570	$767	$7,803
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%)	19	561^st of 662 public high schools	15.3%		16.2	552^nd of 641 public high schools	13.9%	9	42.5	44.8	19.1	50.0				$9,584	$1,002	$8,582
A L Brown High	Public	9-12	415 Martin Luther King Jr Ave	Kannapolis	28083	Cabarrus County	Kannapolis City Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 932-6125	1,753	94	18.6	99.8%	422 (24.1%)	497 (28.4%)	702 (40.0%)	10 (0.6%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	118 (6.7%)	9.2	606^th of 662 public high schools	8.5%		11.4	591^st of 641 public high schools	7.8%	15	26.5	42.0	7.7	36.4				$9,314	$705	$8,609
Rowan County Early College	Public	9-12	1333 Jake Alexander Blvd S	Salisbury	28145	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%)	83.1	123^rd of 662 public high schools	81.4%		88	91^st of 641 public high schools	85.8%	32	79.4	85.7	64.9	98.3				$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%)	31.7	468^th of 662 public high schools	29.3%		32.3	431^st of 641 public high schools	32.8%	37	49.2	49.8	27.7	66.3				$9,575	$985	$8,590
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%)	10.9	599^th of 662 public high schools	9.5%		11.9	586^th of 641 public high schools	8.6%	13	36.5	41.8	18.4	24.6				$11,029	$745	$10,284
Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute	Public	9-12	421 Medical Park Dr NE	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(704) 260-6860	159	6	25.1	30.2%	47 (29.6%)	28 (17.6%)	31 (19.5%)	38 (23.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (8.8%)	91.7	60^th of 662 public high schools	90.9%					(n/a)	92.5	100.0	80.0	96.5
Concord High	Public, Magnet	9-12	481 Burrage Road NE	Concord	28025	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(704) 260-6000	1,128	71	15.9	99.1%	312 (27.7%)	355 (31.5%)	389 (34.5%)	9 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (5.6%)	37.8	421^st of 662 public high schools	36.4%		38.8	386^th of 641 public high schools	39.8%	35	46.5	51.9	45.3	69.6				$9,116	$520	$8,595
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%)	0.9	658^th of 662 public high schools	0.6%					(n/a)	7.1	5.3	536.1		< 5%	6.7	7.7	$25,678	$1,458	$24,220
Northwest Cabarrus High	Public	9-12	5130 NW Cabarrus Drive	Concord	28027	Cabarrus County	Cabarrus County Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 260-6720	1,142	68	16.9	35.4%	518 (45.4%)	285 (25.0%)	179 (15.7%)	83 (7.3%)	5 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	70 (6.1%)	65.3	220^th of 662 public high schools	66.8%		56.7	251^st of 641 public high schools	60.8%	31	67.8	71.6	65.9	74.8				$9,034	$555	$8,479

Frequently Asked Questions about Carson High

Is Carson High a good school?

Carson High ranks 298^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Carson High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,063 students attended Carson High.

What district is Carson High in?

Rowan-Salisbury Schools

What is the racial makeup of Carson High?

Students at Carson High are 64% White, 24% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Carson High?

Carson High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bostian Elementary
Elementary : China Grove Elementary
Middle : Southeast Middle

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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.