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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27893

New rankings! North Carolina test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

9,015

Students

Districts

5-star schools

Top rankedRock Ridge Elementary42^nd of 1,492 North Carolina elementary schools

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Biggest riser

B O Barnes Elementary up 241 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

B O Barnes Elementary 11.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

2★

1★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

Schools in ZIP code 27893 in Wilson, NC, serve about 9,015 students across 18 schools - 8 elementary, 2 middle, 5 high, and 3 alternative/specialized schools - in an area where roughly 95% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Most schools belong to Wilson County Schools, ranked #97 of 246 North Carolina districts with 3 stars. The most striking feature is a two-school-system feel: state rankings in this ZIP range from Rock Ridge Elementary at #42 of 1,492 elementary schools to Vick Elementary at #1,431, and from Wilson Early College Academy at #48 of 662 high schools down to James Hunt High at #535.

Families looking for strong options should note these standouts: Rock Ridge Elementary is a 5-star school with a 99.37% free/reduced-price lunch rate and chronic absenteeism of just 8.0%; Sallie B Howard School, a K-12 school with 1,228 students, beat the state in every reported subject - for example, 98.8% of its 8th graders were proficient in math versus 53.0% statewide - and the high schools Wilson Early College Academy and Wilson Academy of Applied Technology both rank in the top 10% statewide. By contrast, the three traditional high schools - Beddingfield High, Fike High, and James Hunt High - all hold 1-star ratings with most end-of-course exam scores below state averages. Forest Hills Middle is the strongest traditional middle school, while Charles H Darden Middle ranks in the bottom 15%.

Perhaps the most important insight for parents is that a high-poverty student body does not guarantee low performance - Rock Ridge Elementary, Frederick Douglass Elementary, and Vinson-Bynum Elementary all outperform similar-profile schools in the same ZIP. Chronic absenteeism tracks academic struggles closely: the weakest schools - Milton M Daniels Learning Center, Vick Elementary, B O Barnes Elementary, and Charles H Darden Middle - all report rates above 33%, while the strongest schools fall below 18%. Given the wide gap between top and bottom, parents should compare individual school results carefully rather than relying on the district's overall 3-star rating.

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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)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sallie B Howard School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1004 Herring Avenue E	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Sallie B Howard School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(252) 293-4150	1,228	77	15.9	97.1%	35 (2.9%)	637 (51.9%)	490 (39.9%)	15 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (4.0%)								(n/a)	84.2	90.4	93.8	100.0	72.4	72.4	95.2	90.5	92.9	98.8	74.5	80.0	67.0	89.5	82.8	87.2	88.3	95.7
B O Barnes Elementary	Public	K-5	1913 Martin L King Parkway	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7875	274	23	11.9	98.9%	8 (2.9%)	209 (76.3%)	50 (18.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	45.6	812^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.6%		32.3	1053^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	29.3%	241					64.7	57.1	78.8				55.9	45.2	27.3				69.7		$11,225	$3,242	$7,983
Beddingfield High	Public	9-12	4510 Old Stantonsburg Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7880	653	48	13.6	99.5%	109 (16.7%)	304 (46.6%)	225 (34.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.1%)	26.9	501^st of 662 public high schools	24.3%		35.4	409^th of 641 public high schools	36.2%	92	47.8	49.2	26.8	58.0															$9,512	$718	$8,794
Frederick Douglass Elementary	Public	K-5	1301 Corbett Ave	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 236-4574	339	22	15.1	98.5%	114 (33.6%)	118 (34.8%)	78 (23.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.4%)	69.7	423^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	71.6%		66.5	460^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.1%	37					73.7	57.8	81.5				70.2	62.5	64.8				70.4		$9,313	$1,225	$8,089
Fike High	Public	9-12	500 Harrison Dr N	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7905	1,028	55	18.7	98.8%	309 (30.1%)	468 (45.5%)	200 (19.5%)	11 (1.1%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.2%)	27.9	495^th of 662 public high schools	25.2%		32.5	429^th of 641 public high schools	33.1%	66	44.7	51.0	25.0	61.9															$8,482	$699	$7,783
James Hunt High	Public	9-12	4559 Lamm Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7930	1,115	62	17.9	98.7%	374 (33.5%)	420 (37.7%)	258 (23.1%)	9 (0.8%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.3%)	23.2	535^th of 662 public high schools	19.2%		36.6	400^th of 641 public high schools	37.6%	135	35.0	58.6	14.2	56.3															$8,469	$640	$7,829
Margaret Hearne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 W Gold St	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7925	423	27	15.9	99.3%	19 (4.5%)	242 (57.2%)	138 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	22.7	1233^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	17.4%		22.8	1224^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.9%	9					35.0	34.8	52.7				38.3	44.9	41.8				67.3		$10,414	$2,422	$7,993
Rock Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	6605 Rock Ridge School Rd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7955	476	29	16.6	99.4%	251 (52.7%)	49 (10.3%)	149 (31.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.8%)	94.9	42^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	97.2%		93.5	66^th of 1490 public elementary schools	95.6%	24					89.8	89.7	87.0				86.4	88.5	79.7				87.0		$8,909	$1,031	$7,878
Vinson-Bynum Elementary	Public	K-5	1601 Tarboro St SW	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7981	458	29	15.8	99.3%	63 (13.8%)	294 (64.2%)	69 (15.1%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	70.2	412^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.4%		58.7	585^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.7%	173					86.9	60.0	62.7				64.3	65.9	63.3				75.0		$11,625	$1,594	$10,030
Wells Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Grove St N	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7986	383	23	16.7	95.8%	69 (18.0%)	227 (59.3%)	58 (15.1%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	41.4	888^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.5%		46.8	805^th of 1490 public elementary schools	46.0%	83					78.0	46.0	56.1				66.0	50.0	40.4				56.1		$9,928	$1,749	$8,179
Charles H Darden Middle	Public	6-8	1665 Lipscomb Road	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 206-4973	378	28	13.6	99.2%	10 (2.6%)	242 (64.0%)	116 (30.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	18.3	665^th of 778 public middle schools	14.5%		18	660^th of 773 public middle schools	14.6%	5								40.8	30.7	18.9				34.2	50.9	44.5		46.4	$12,284	$3,499	$8,785
Forest Hills Middle	Public	6-8	1210 Forest Hills	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7913	654	36	18.2	99.5%	79 (12.1%)	400 (61.2%)	113 (17.3%)	23 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.0%)	57.1	331^st of 778 public middle schools	57.5%		52	367^th of 773 public middle schools	52.5%	36								47.1	53.3	67.6				57.2	58.3	57.5		76.0	$8,665	$708	$7,958
Milton M Daniels Learning Center	Public, Alternative	2-12	723 Elvie Street	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 399-7900	62	9	6.8	95.2%	9 (14.5%)	42 (67.7%)	10 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)								(n/a)										13.8					25.9	34.5		27.6	$14,459	$946	$13,513
Vick Elementary	Public	K-5	504 N Carroll Street	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 399-7886	359	23	15.4	99.2%	9 (2.5%)	251 (69.9%)	91 (25.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	8.9	1431^st of 1492 public elementary schools	4.1%		14.3	1356^th of 1490 public elementary schools	9.0%	75					30.6	25.4	45.6				26.4	26.9	33.3				54.4		$13,719	$3,492	$10,227
John W Jones Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4028 Highway 42 West	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(252) 265-4020	601	36	16.8	99.5%	120 (20.0%)	319 (53.1%)	100 (16.6%)	26 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	32 (5.3%)	35	1004^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.7%		41.1	896^th of 1490 public elementary schools	39.9%	108					45.7	35.6	66.2				44.3	48.9	58.8				64.7		$10,499	$2,342	$8,156
Wilson Early College Academy	Public	9-12	902 Herring St	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 246-1418	268	13	20.4	37.3%	103 (38.4%)	89 (33.2%)	61 (22.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.7%)	92.1	48^th of 662 public high schools	92.7%		95.6	14^th of 641 public high schools	97.8%	34	88.4	97.9	93.3	100.0															$6,572	$272	$6,300
Wilson Academy of Applied Technology	Public	9-12	4809 Ward Blvd	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Wilson County Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 265-4038	280	15	19.3	45.7%	80 (28.6%)	61 (21.8%)	117 (41.8%)	8 (2.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.6%)	91.7	61^st of 662 public high schools	90.8%		94.1	33^rd of 641 public high schools	94.9%	28	95.1	100.0	90.9	94.1															$11,011	$214	$10,797
Eastern NC School for the Deaf	Public, Alternative	K-12	1311 Hwy 301 South	Wilson	27893	Wilson County	Eastern NC School for the Deaf	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(252) 237-2450	36	21	1.7	91.7%	7 (19.4%)	17 (47.2%)	7 (19.4%)	1 (2.8%)	1 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)								(n/a)

Cities Near Zip Code 27893

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilson	0.62 mi	23	195^th
Elm City	6.25 mi	3	49^th
Black Creek	6.48 mi	1	191^st
Lucama	7.29 mi	2	22^nd
Stantonsburg	8.15 mi	2	236^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.