Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27235

ZIP code 27235 in Colfax, NC, is served by just one public school: Colfax Elementary, a PK–5 school in Guilford County Schools with 587 students and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Despite being the only school in the area, it is a standout performer: Colfax Elementary has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and currently ranks in the 84th percentile statewide, well above its district's 39th-percentile, 2-star rating. In 2025–2026, the school posted an average 73.8% proficiency rate across all End-of-Grade tests, which is 17.3 percentage points above Guilford County Schools and 12.8 points above the North Carolina average.

Looking at individual subjects and grades, Colfax Elementary outperforms the state in every single category. In 3rd grade math, 81.3% of students were proficient, compared to 66.4% statewide. 5th grade science proficiency hit 81.8%, the highest score in the dataset, while reading proficiency across grades 3–5 ranged from 68.5% to 70.7%, landing 10.8 to 15.4 points above the state average in every grade. The school also improved its overall proficiency from 69.6% to 73.8% in one year, outpacing both district and state gains. Although 4th grade scores dipped notably from the prior year, they remained solidly above state averages, suggesting a cohort effect rather than a systemic issue. More encouraging are the large jumps in 3rd grade math and reading, which rose by 15.5 and 15.1 points respectively.

One of the most impressive aspects of Colfax Elementary is that nearly 99.49% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school consistently exceeds district and state academic benchmarks. Chronic absenteeism stands at 20.2%, which is lower than the district’s 29.2% and the state’s 24.2%, but still means about 1 in 5 students misses significant school time. Families in ZIP 27235 should note that there are no public middle or high schools within the ZIP code, so students will eventually move on to schools outside the area. For now, Colfax Elementary is a clear academic bright spot—not just in its local community, but across North Carolina.