Best High Schools in Zip Code 27886

Zip code 27886 in Tarboro, North Carolina, is home to three public high schools — Tarboro High, North Edgecombe High, and Edgecombe Early College High — all part of Edgecombe County Public Schools, serving roughly 1,025 students in grades 9–12, nearly all of whom (98%+) come from economically disadvantaged households.

The standout is Edgecombe Early College High, ranked 77th of 662 schools statewide (88th percentile, 4 stars) and consistently strong for three straight years. Its End-of-Course proficiency is exceptional — 100% in Math III, 90.3% in English II, 90.0% in Math I, and 86.7% in Biology — exceeding state averages. Meanwhile, Tarboro High (619th, 0 stars) and North Edgecombe High (630th, 0 stars) sit in the bottom 6% statewide. Math I is especially alarming: only 6.3% of Tarboro students and 11.6% of North Edgecombe students are proficient, versus 42.1% statewide. North Edgecombe’s graduation rate is just 71.1%, well below Tarboro’s 85.3%.

Chronic absenteeism mirrors performance nearly perfectly: 46.0% at Tarboro High, 42.9% at North Edgecombe High, and only 8.7% at Edgecombe Early College High (state average: 24.2%). Higher spending does not translate into success here; North Edgecombe High spends the most per student ($16,211) and has the smallest classes (17.0 ratio), yet achieves the weakest outcomes, while Edgecombe Early College High spends the least ($9,262) and has the largest classes (21.9 ratio) yet wins academically. Tarboro High is improving from a low base — Biology proficiency nearly doubled to 22.0% and English II reached 27.9% — but remains in the bottom 10%. Because all three schools share similar 98%-plus poverty rates, Edgecombe Early College High proves high achievement is possible in this community, though its selective early-college model raises fairness questions about access.