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Cuthbertson High

Public Grades 9-12
101st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 662 North Carolina High Schools
Better than 85% of North Carolina high schools
Summary

Cuthbertson High School in Waxhaw, NC is a large suburban school serving about 1,857 students in grades 9–12 and belongs to Union County Public Schools, a district ranked in the 83rd percentile statewide. Cuthbertson currently ranks #101 out of 662 North Carolina high schools (85th percentile, 4 stars), and it scores comfortably above district and state averages on every End-of-Course test, with strong proficiency rates in Biology (84%), English II (93%), and Math III (90%). Even so, it sits behind several nearby rivals in the same competitive suburban cluster: Marvin Ridge High (96th percentile), Union County Early College (96th percentile), Weddington High (89th percentile), and Providence High (88th percentile).

The clearest academic red flag is Math I. Proficiency fell to 69% this year — a drop of more than eight points from the prior year, even as district and state scores rose — and it trails Marvin Ridge (88%) and Weddington (85%) by wide margins. Gifted and Talented students also dipped to the 67th percentile, down from the 85th percentile two years earlier. But Cuthbertson's results with historically underserved groups are genuinely exceptional: special education students rank in the top 5% statewide, English Language Learners rank in the top 5%, and Hispanic, African American, and multi-racial students all perform near the top 15% of North Carolina high schools. That kind of equitable success is particularly notable at a school where only about 10% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Attendance is another strength: just 8.4% of students are chronically absent, far better than nearby Parkwood High (22.3%), Ardrey Kell High (16.1%), or Sun Valley High (21.1%). Cuthbertson was once ranked #2 in North Carolina a decade ago; today it is a very good, consistent comprehensive high school that is no longer the undisputed stand-out in its own community. For most area families, though, it remains a highly attractive option with a notable record of lifting achievement across a broad range of students.

1,857
Students ?
22.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
10.2%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 1400 Cuthbertson Rd
       Waxhaw, NC  28173

(704) 296-0105

District: Union County Public Schools


Feeder schools for Cuthbertson High:

Elementary:    Kensington Elementary
    New Town Elementary
Middle:    Cuthbertson Middle
Racial breakdown:

White:
71.3%
Hispanic:
9.4%
Asian:
9.2%
more
 See top rated North Carolina high schools

 Compare Cuthbertson High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (86% vs 60% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina high schools
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016
!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 school86%
District avg74%
North Carolina avg60%
101st of 662
North Carolina public high schools ?
Top 15%▼ down 12 pts since 2016
From top 3% (2016) to top 15% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
43rd of 246Union County Public 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202685.6101 of 66284.7%★★★★☆
202587.494 of 64185.3%★★★★☆
202488.296 of 64085.0%★★★★☆
202390.267 of 62689.3%★★★★☆
202287.593 of 62185.0%★★★★☆
202189.673 of 59487.7%★★★★☆
201991.423 of 51495.5%★★★★★
201895.72 of 46999.6%★★★★★
201792.77 of 47698.5%★★★★★
201686.317 of 50796.6%★★★★★
201586.619 of 53196.4%★★★★★
201487.915 of 45196.7%★★★★★
201384.912 of 50597.6%★★★★★
201277.927 of 50294.6%★★★★★
201175.649 of 50690.3%★★★★★
201071.167 of 49986.6%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202687.462 of 45086.2%★★★★☆
202591.239 of 44091.1%★★★★★
202496.727 of 43793.8%★★★★★
202395.236 of 43491.7%★★★★★
202290.246 of 43089.3%★★★★☆
202191.716 of 36495.6%★★★★★
201994.911 of 36997.0%★★★★★
201898.65 of 35998.6%★★★★★

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202681.922 of 10378.6%★★★★☆
202578.328 of 10673.6%★★★★☆
202482.016 of 10184.2%★★★★☆
202378.420 of 9879.6%★★★★☆
202276.023 of 9174.7%★★★★☆
202163.935 of 8357.8%★★★☆☆
201981.111 of 8987.6%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202298.25 of 33098.5%★★★★★
202183.624 of 33492.8%★★★★★
201981.328 of 36492.3%★★★★★
201898.66 of 34998.3%★★★★★

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202596.110 of 27396.3%★★★★★
202476.925 of 26290.5%★★★★★
202376.023 of 22689.8%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202685.495 of 62984.9%★★★★☆
202585.399 of 61083.8%★★★★☆
202487.981 of 60286.5%★★★★☆
202388.073 of 58887.6%★★★★☆
202287.580 of 59486.5%★★★★☆
202190.522 of 47595.4%★★★★★
201991.713 of 47597.3%★★★★★
201895.13 of 44999.3%★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202668.5136 of 40766.6%★★★☆☆
202578.961 of 41285.2%★★★★☆
202475.473 of 40381.9%★★★★☆
202372.8102 of 40374.7%★★★★☆
202277.755 of 39886.2%★★★★☆
202182.112 of 33796.4%★★★★★
201981.715 of 32595.4%★★★★★

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202692.059 of 47487.6%★★★★☆
202590.160 of 46287.0%★★★★☆
202491.751 of 45488.8%★★★★☆
202385.767 of 44985.1%★★★★☆
202289.358 of 43686.7%★★★★☆
202194.410 of 37097.3%★★★★★
201992.412 of 35496.6%★★★★★
201898.14 of 34098.8%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202675.4135 of 62078.2%★★★★☆
202576.4123 of 60679.7%★★★★☆
202487.994 of 61384.7%★★★★☆
202385.092 of 59784.6%★★★★☆
202293.551 of 54490.6%★★★★★
202183.219 of 43295.6%★★★★★
201981.525 of 44694.4%★★★★★
201897.25 of 42498.8%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202685.7109 of 62482.5%★★★★☆
202588.594 of 60184.4%★★★★☆
202487.7102 of 60783.2%★★★★☆
202391.371 of 60288.2%★★★★☆
202287.094 of 58583.9%★★★★☆
202188.231 of 48193.6%★★★★★
201990.723 of 48895.3%★★★★★
201895.89 of 46398.1%★★★★★

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202687.620 of 26592.5%★★★★★
202589.117 of 25393.3%★★★★★
202497.55 of 26198.1%★★★★★
202392.511 of 24995.6%★★★★★
202285.824 of 22689.4%★★★★☆
202187.213 of 19993.5%★★★★★
201997.23 of 19598.5%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202690.515 of 37296.0%★★★★★
202591.77 of 35298.0%★★★★★
202478.427 of 34992.3%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNorth Carolina percentileRating
202678.9114 of 55179.3%★★★★☆
202579.1121 of 54277.7%★★★★☆
202479.4118 of 55378.7%★★★★☆
202386.077 of 53785.7%★★★★☆
202282.395 of 53482.2%★★★★☆
202184.230 of 43993.2%★★★★★
201987.024 of 44494.6%★★★★★
201892.85 of 42798.8%★★★★★
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 (2022)98th percentile+13 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)96th percentile+11 vs school
Special Education (2026)96th percentile+11 vs school
Multi-racial (2026)92nd percentile+8 vs school
Hispanic (2026)88th percentile+3 vs school
African American (2026)86th percentile~ school
Female (2026)85th percentile~ school
Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school
White (2026)79th percentile-5 vs school
Asian (2026)79th percentile-6 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile-7 vs school
Gifted and Talented (2026)67th percentile-18 vs school
By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?
English II93%+29 vs state
Math III90%+21 vs state
Biology84%+26 vs state
Math I69%+27 vs state

4.2
5 ratings · 4 written reviews
5★4
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1★1
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What people are saying
by a student
Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Open Quote I feel like it is one of the best schools in all of Union County Public Schools. Nice Teachers, a clean atmosphere, very little bullying, and a wonderful Music and Athletic Program. The lunches though are the same as every other public school, just ok... Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, May 31, 2015

Open Quote Great, Great school. Teachers help and come in early if needed. We have had to email some at night and they have always email back to help. There is a strong feel of pride in this school and a lot of energy. Thanks for all you bring to our community. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, January 16, 2014

Open Quote I completely disagree with the previous review! My son is a freshman there and is exceling in all areas with an A average with all honors classes (4.75 GPA). We have found the teachers and staff to be fantastic! They are very responsive via email and truly care about our kids. Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Open Quote Do not send your child to Cuthbertson. Terrible administration and unhelpful guidance. Students are pushed way too far. Teachers are unkind and students are judgemental. Close Quote





Schools Near Cuthbertson High

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Frequently Asked Questions about Cuthbertson High

Cuthbertson High ranks 101st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Cuthbertson High are 71% White, 9% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Cuthbertson High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kensington Elementary
Elementary : New Town Elementary
Middle : Cuthbertson Middle

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,857 students attended Cuthbertson High.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »
2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026
2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026
2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026
2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026


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.

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