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Holly Ridge Middle

Q: Is Holly Ridge Middle a good school?

Holly Ridge Middle ranks 118 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

118^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 85% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Holly Ridge Middle serves about 955 students in grades 6–8 in Holly Springs, NC, as part of the Wake County Schools district. The school earns 4 stars in SchoolDigger's rankings and currently sits at #118 out of 778 North Carolina middle schools, placing it in the 85th percentile statewide. Its ranking has drifted slightly downward from #82 in 2023–2024, though test scores have stayed strong—a sign that other schools are improving quickly rather than a sign of decline at Holly Ridge.

Academically, Holly Ridge's clearest strengths are math and science. On the most recent EOG tests, 78.6% of 8th graders passed math—about 14 points above the Wake County district average and nearly 26 points above the state—and 81.8% passed 8th-grade science. Reading is solid but less distinctive; 6th-grade reading proficiency (65.3%) is just below the district average of 66.0%. Attendance is also a bright spot, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.7% that beats both the district (20.5%) and state (24.2%) averages. Another genuine strength is special education support: those students ranked in the 88th percentile statewide in 2025–2026.

Families should know that Holly Ridge sits in an impressive cluster of Wake County middle schools. Nearby Holly Grove Middle ranks 46th statewide, and Apex Friendship Middle ranks 18th; Holly Ridge outranks six of the ten nearby comparison schools but trails those two. The school also serves a more economically diverse student body (26% free/reduced-price lunch) than its higher-ranked neighbors. The biggest area of opportunity is equity within the school: low-income students ranked near the statewide median (49th percentile) in 2025–2026, down from the 74th percentile two years earlier, and the Gifted and Talented subgroup fell from the 70th to the 34th percentile over the same span. Closing those internal gaps would likely move Holly Ridge back toward the top tier of Wake County middle schools.

955

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

26%

Free/discounted lunch ?

950 Holly Springs Road
Holly Springs, NC 27540

(919) 577-1335

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Holly Ridge Middle usually attend:

High:	Holly Springs High
	Wake Early College of Health and Science
	Wake STEM Early College High School
	Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
	More...
	Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Feeder schools for Holly Ridge Middle:

Elementary:	Holly Ridge Elementary
	Holly Springs Elementary
	Middle Creek Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.7%

African American:

15.0%

Hispanic:

13.1%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Holly Ridge Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (73% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of North Carolina middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 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 school73%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg58%

118^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

60^th of 246Wake 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	81.3	118 of 778	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	84.8	97 of 773	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	87.7	82 of 793	89.7%	★★★★☆
2023	85.2	100 of 784	87.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	114 of 786	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	83.9	92 of 741	87.6%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	162 of 737	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	75.6	146 of 691	78.9%	★★★★☆
2017	73.5	159 of 694	77.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.8	141 of 692	79.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.5	139 of 705	80.3%	★★★★☆
2014	77.6	125 of 627	80.1%	★★★★☆
2013	80.5	105 of 673	84.4%	★★★★☆
2012	71.4	181 of 662	72.7%	★★★★☆
2011	73.7	160 of 648	75.3%	★★★★☆
2010	69.9	190 of 640	70.3%	★★★★☆
2009	69.9	189 of 630	70.0%	★★★★☆
2008	70.3	171 of 620	72.4%	★★★★☆
2007	73.5	130 of 606	78.5%	★★★★☆
2006	77.0	91 of 598	84.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	195 of 553	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.9	183 of 546	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	148 of 560	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	55.1	184 of 559	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.1	127 of 550	76.9%	★★★★☆
2021	58.6	142 of 533	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	49.2	239 of 519	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.1	290 of 494	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	55 of 121	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.3	55 of 111	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	59 of 110	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.1	56 of 110	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.2	81 of 99	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.4	79 of 102	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.3	64 of 95	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	73.0	55 of 449	87.8%	★★★★☆
2021	40.2	275 of 478	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	186 of 504	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.3	205 of 475	56.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	58.5	93 of 363	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	62.3	77 of 371	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	62.5	69 of 356	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	56.0	82 of 318	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	63.4	56 of 312	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	58.6	41 of 236	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	33.2	149 of 211	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.5	100 of 731	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	85.1	86 of 733	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	86.7	81 of 738	89.0%	★★★★☆
2023	87.1	76 of 731	89.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	91 of 733	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	89.3	53 of 706	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	79.5	120 of 684	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	142 of 656	78.4%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.0	309 of 465	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.4	219 of 458	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.8	136 of 461	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	69 of 452	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	68.4	94 of 450	79.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.2	8 of 448	98.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	217 of 566	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.9	134 of 562	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.3	103 of 564	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	117 of 553	78.8%	★★★★☆
2022	56.6	202 of 541	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	164 of 522	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.2	361 of 493	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	52.7	203 of 472	57.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	367 of 725	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.9	384 of 729	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.5	190 of 743	74.4%	★★★★☆
2023	54.2	299 of 735	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.9	307 of 689	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.1	252 of 633	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.2	438 of 639	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.6	409 of 604	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.4	128 of 736	82.6%	★★★★☆
2025	82.9	100 of 733	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	86.9	80 of 751	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.5	134 of 747	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.8	130 of 748	82.6%	★★★★☆
2021	74.3	165 of 711	76.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.1	212 of 697	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.1	140 of 665	78.9%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.8	31 of 67	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.4	18 of 64	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	96.4	1 of 58	98.3%	★★★★★
2022	73.4	11 of 58	81.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	97 of 333	70.9%	★★★★☆
2025	64.0	95 of 328	71.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	61 of 306	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	83.6	36 of 302	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	76 of 283	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.6	21 of 248	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	66.9	57 of 237	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.4	81 of 221	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.8	60 of 500	88.0%	★★★★☆
2025	74.4	45 of 478	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	65.1	82 of 473	82.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	123 of 644	80.9%	★★★★☆
2025	85.4	80 of 649	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.7	69 of 652	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	83.6	89 of 656	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	83.3	92 of 658	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	84.7	80 of 632	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	81.0	97 of 624	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	76 of 596	87.2%	★★★★☆

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)88th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2022)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)86th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

White (2026)81st percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)74th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)71st percentile-14 vs school

African American (2026)65th percentile-20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile-23 vs school

Asian (2026)55th percentile-30 vs school

Military Connected (2026)54th percentile-31 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile-35 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)34th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science82%+13 vs state

Mathematics73%+17 vs state

Reading69%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Holly Ridge Middle

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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 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	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
Holly Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	950 Holly Springs Road	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 577-1335	955	54	17.5	26.0%	589 (61.7%)	143 (15.0%)	125 (13.1%)	46 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (5.0%)	81.3	118^th of 778 public middle schools	84.8%		84.8	97^th of 773 public middle schools	87.5%	21	69.7	71.6	78.6	65.3	70.2	70.7	81.8	$8,619	$411	$8,207
Herbert Akins Road Middle	Public	6-8	2275 Herbert Akins Road	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(919) 694-8300	1,253	77	16.2	33.5%	730 (58.3%)	136 (10.9%)	279 (22.3%)	56 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (4.1%)	76.1	167^th of 778 public middle schools	78.5%		73.6	177^th of 773 public middle schools	77.1%	10	75.2	66.2	68.8	68.9	61.4	64.6	79.0
Holly Grove Middle	Public	6-8	1401 Avent Ferry Road	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 567-4177	979	58	16.9	17.7%	594 (60.7%)	101 (10.3%)	109 (11.1%)	116 (11.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (5.6%)	91.5	46^th of 778 public middle schools	94.1%		88.4	66^th of 773 public middle schools	91.5%	20	90.3	89.0	77.7	84.0	80.2	72.8	83.1	$8,219	$420	$7,799
West Lake Middle	Public	6-8	4600 West Lake Rd	Apex	27539	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 662-2900	687	42	16.2	42.9%	327 (47.6%)	134 (19.5%)	184 (26.8%)	13 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.2%)	66.7	232^nd of 778 public middle schools	70.2%		65.1	250^th of 773 public middle schools	67.7%	18	66.2	56.0	62.8	64.3	61.1	60.0	76.8	$8,884	$574	$8,310
Lufkin Road Middle	Public	6-8	1002 Lufkin Road	Apex	27539	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-4465	1,035	62	16.8	33.5%	499 (48.2%)	117 (11.3%)	228 (22.0%)	159 (15.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (2.8%)	73.6	187^th of 778 public middle schools	76.0%		70.2	200^th of 773 public middle schools	74.1%	13	65.8	66.1	62.4	66.8	70.4	65.5	75.1	$9,106	$406	$8,700
Apex Middle	Public	6-8	400 East Moore Street	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2181	867	54	15.9	24.8%	551 (63.6%)	72 (8.3%)	125 (14.4%)	76 (8.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.7%)	78.1	147^th of 778 public middle schools	81.1%		85.7	85^th of 773 public middle schools	89.0%	62	75.2	64.7	77.9	64.8	63.7	67.2	81.6	$8,531	$520	$8,012
Apex Friendship Middle	Public	6-8	7701 Humie Olive Rd	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8960	1,412	73	19.3	7.9%	848 (60.1%)	77 (5.5%)	114 (8.1%)	302 (21.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (4.8%)	96.9	18^th of 778 public middle schools	97.7%		97.1	18^th of 773 public middle schools	97.7%		94.5	92.8	89.7	86.2	88.4	84.9	95.1	$8,250	$361	$7,890
Fuquay-Varina Middle	Public	6-8	1201 Bowling Road	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2727	1,004	57	17.6	28.3%	524 (52.2%)	164 (16.3%)	165 (16.4%)	95 (9.5%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	51 (5.1%)	76.2	166^th of 778 public middle schools	78.7%		74.3	170^th of 773 public middle schools	78.0%	4	72.3	65.4	66.0	67.4	61.9	67.0	82.6	$8,708	$369	$8,339
Salem Middle	Public	6-8	6150 Old Jenks Road	Apex	27523	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 363-1870	1,057	60	17.7	19.2%	545 (51.6%)	78 (7.4%)	159 (15.0%)	217 (20.5%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (5.0%)	89.2	61^st of 778 public middle schools	92.2%		91.2	50^th of 773 public middle schools	93.5%	11	82.4	78.7	83.2	69.0	78.3	77.9	83.9	$9,372	$511	$8,861
Dillard Drive Middle	Public	6-8	5200 Dillard Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 233-4228	977	66	14.7	50.5%	381 (39.0%)	241 (24.7%)	278 (28.5%)	45 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.2%)	46	429^th of 778 public middle schools	44.9%		46.6	423^rd of 773 public middle schools	45.3%	6	59.3	45.0	46.2	53.6	51.2	52.7	70.6	$8,594	$467	$8,126

Frequently Asked Questions about Holly Ridge Middle

How many students attend Holly Ridge Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 955 students attended Holly Ridge Middle.

What district is Holly Ridge Middle in?

Wake County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Holly Ridge Middle?

Students at Holly Ridge Middle are 62% White, 15% African American, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Is Holly Ridge Middle a good school?

Holly Ridge Middle ranks 118^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Holly Ridge Middle attend?

Students who attend Holly Ridge Middle usually go on to attend Holly Springs High

Rate Holly Ridge 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.