Summary:
Middle schools in zip code 28173 (Waxhaw, NC) include two highly rated public schools serving grades 6–8, both part of Union County Public Schools, a district ranked in the top 20% of North Carolina. Together, Cuthbertson Middle and Marvin Ridge Middle enroll 2,600 students and both earned elite 5-star ratings.
Marvin Ridge Middle stands as the area’s top overall performer, ranking 13th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools and posting the stronger academic scores in nearly every grade-level subject. Its recent proficiency rates range from 87.3% in 8th-grade reading to 94.6% in 8th-grade science. It also enjoys the area’s lower chronic absenteeism (7.8%), a better student-teacher ratio (19.9), and a very low free/reduced-price lunch rate of 4.46%. Cuthbertson Middle is only a step behind, ranking 19th statewide with its own outstanding scores—including 90.8% math proficiency and 94.5% science proficiency. Cuthbertson has more students (1,323), slightly higher chronic absenteeism (11.0%), and a larger share of economically disadvantaged students (10.96%), yet it still cleared the district average by at least 12.9 points on every reported test and is undergoing a notable state-rank rebound.
Both schools far outperform state averages in all subjects, with reading representing the relative soft spot, while science is a near-tie at the top (94.6% vs. 94.5%). Attendance and poverty indicators are unusually favorable compared with state norms, reinforcing the area’s strong learning environment. Families choosing between these two top-tier schools will find Marvin Ridge with a marginal academic edge and more resources per pupil, while Cuthbertson offers equally high performance and even more recent momentum.
Thank you for your feedback!