Best High Schools in Zip Code 28660

ZIP code 28660, located in Olin, North Carolina, is home to two high schools serving grades 9 through 12, both part of the Iredell-Statesville Schools district: North Iredell High, a large traditional high school with about 983 students, and Agriculture and Science Early College, a much smaller early college high school with about 255 students. Despite sharing the same district and tiny community, these two schools serve vastly different student populations and deliver wildly different academic outcomes, making this ZIP code a striking example of educational contrast.

Agriculture and Science Early College is the clear academic standout, ranked 50th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (92nd percentile) with a 5-star rating, and improving rapidly from the 78th percentile just two years ago. Its End-of-Course test proficiency rates are extraordinary: 92% in Biology, 93.9% in English II, 93.5% in Math I, and 98% in Math III—all far above state averages and 40 to 48 percentage points higher than North Iredell High in every subject. Chronic absenteeism is just 5.8%, and only 26.27% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Meanwhile, North Iredell High ranks 437th (34th percentile) with a 2-star rating, and its rank has slipped over three straight years. Its proficiency rates lag the state in most subjects, chronic absenteeism is a high 29.8%, and 99.69% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. On a positive note, North Iredell’s graduation rate is 91.4%, above the state’s 88.8%, though the early college does not report a graduation rate.

These two schools illustrate how poverty, attendance, and school model strongly track with performance. North Iredell High spends $2,596 more per student and has a lower student-teacher ratio (19.5 vs. 28.0), yet its outcomes are much lower—showing that spending and class size alone do not drive success. Agriculture and Science Early College’s selective, academically focused environment and more affluent student population produce exceptional results, while North Iredell serves a high-poverty, attendance-challenged community. The takeaway for parents is clear: within 28660, the early college offers elite academic preparation, while the traditional high school faces significant headwinds but still graduates students at a respectable rate.