Best High Schools in Zip Code 28205

Zip code 28205 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is served by four public high schools — Garinger High School, Commonwealth High, Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences, and Military and Global Leadership — that together enroll 2,564 students in grades 9–12, with three of the four schools operating under Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and nearly all students in the area qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Performance across the four schools varies enormously. Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences is the standout, ranking in the 75th percentile statewide and exceeding state and district averages on every End-of-Course subject, despite 98% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Military and Global Leadership, the smallest school at 71 students, posts the highest graduation rate in the zip code at 95%, but its test proficiency is low and chronic absenteeism runs high at 61.9%. Garinger High School, the largest school and the one enrolling roughly 73% of local high school students, remains below district and state averages in all subjects, though it is improving steadily and rose from the 5th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 13th percentile in 2025–2026. Commonwealth High, which reports under its own single-school district rather than Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, shows the most severe warning signs: a graduation rate of just 23.3%, a state ranking in the 5th percentile, and chronic absenteeism at 87.7%.

Chronic absenteeism is the systemic challenge across the zip code — all four schools exceed the state rate of 24.2%, and even Hawthorne sits at 37.7%. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is near universal, yet Hawthorne's strong results show high poverty does not dictate low achievement. Garinger's rising test scores and Military and Global Leadership's strong graduation numbers show progress in different respects, while Commonwealth's combination of low proficiency, low graduation, and extreme absenteeism makes it the most at-risk school. Parents evaluating schools in 28205 should watch chronic absenteeism, graduation rates, and End-of-Course proficiency trends over time.