Summary
Stanly STEM Early College in Albemarle, NC, is a small public early-college high school serving 189 students in grades 9–12, and its results put it among the very best high schools in North Carolina year after year. It sits within Stanly County Schools, a district that ranks near the middle of the state, yet the school is a clear outlier: it holds a 5-star rating and ranks 41st of 662 high schools for 2025–2026, after placing in the top 10–15% statewide for several straight years.
The school's end-of-course scores are dramatically above district and state averages: 98% proficiency in Biology, 97% in English II, 96% in Math I, and 92% in Math III, versus district averages of 57%, 63%, 47%, and 68%. Even its lowest subject, Math III, finishes more than 20 points above the state average. Chronic absenteeism is just 5.2%, compared with about 20% in the district and 24% statewide. High achievement is not reserved for a single group: in 2025–2026, male students ranked #1 in North Carolina, white students ranked 4th, and low-income students ranked 27th statewide.
The same pattern holds across the county. Stanly Early College High, located just three miles away, ranks 44th statewide and posts end-of-course scores very close to those at Stanly STEM Early College. Meanwhile, the district's four traditional high schools—Albemarle High, North Stanly High, South Stanly High, and West Stanly High—all rank in the bottom half of the state. In fact, Albemarle High shares the same address as Stanly STEM Early College, yet reports just 17.6% Biology proficiency and a 35.5% chronic absenteeism rate. The school's student-teacher ratio of 31.5 also stands out, but it likely reflects the early-college model, where many classes are taught by college faculty rather than high-school staff. Overall, this school combines excellent academics, strong attendance, and impressive results for many kinds of learners—a formula that makes it one of the state's standout public high schools.
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