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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28697

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

Schools

1,839

Students

Top rankedWilkes Early College High School79^th of 641 North Carolina high schools

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Biggest riser

Wilkes Central High School up 110 spots statewide this year

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The 28697 zip code area in North Carolina is home to 4 schools, including 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools. This area appears to have a relatively low-income student population, with all schools reporting very high free/reduced lunch rates. However, the performance of these schools varies, with Wilkes Early College High School standing out as an exceptional institution that consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state.

Wilkes Early College High School has earned 4-5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger and boasts exceptional test scores, with 89.3-100% of students proficient or better in EOC exams in 2024-2025. The school also maintains a high 4-year graduation rate of 87.7%. In contrast, West Wilkes Middle School has had mixed EOG results, with 33.3-63.9% proficiency across different grade levels and subjects in 2024-2025.

Wilkesboro Elementary School has also performed well, ranking between 315-565 out of 1,490-1,505 elementary schools statewide over the past 3 years and earning 3-4 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger. The school has strong math and reading proficiency rates, with 56.4-70.3% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025. Overall, the schools in the 28697 zip code area present a mixed picture, with Wilkes Early College High School standing out as a high-performing institution in the region.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Wilkes Central High School	Public	9-12	1179 Moravian Falls Rd	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 667-5277	719	49	14.6	99.6%	365 (50.8%)	79 (11.0%)	191 (26.6%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (10.3%)	45.9	332^nd of 641 public high schools	48.2%		30.9	442^nd of 640 public high schools	30.9%	110	28.7	54.9	54.3	70.3															$9,054	$938	$8,116
Wilkesboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1248 School St	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(336) 838-4261	405	24	16.8	99.3%	251 (62.0%)	16 (4.0%)	73 (18.0%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (12.8%)	59.9	565^th of 1490 public elementary schools	62.1%		75.7	315^th of 1505 public elementary schools	79.1%	250					56.7	56.4	70.3				44.8	61.8	65.6				67.2		$9,993	$1,301	$8,692
West Wilkes Middle School	Public	6-8	1677 North NC Hwy 16	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 651-4381	450	29	15.5	99.3%	345 (76.7%)	1 (0.2%)	78 (17.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	46	426^th of 773 public middle schools	44.9%		52.2	372^nd of 793 public middle schools	53.1%	54								49.0	50.6	33.3				51.7	56.4	47.2		63.9	$8,888	$856	$8,032
Wilkes Early College High School	Public	9-12	1328 S Collegiate Dr	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 838-6247	265	9	29.4	98.9%	205 (77.4%)	6 (2.3%)	36 (13.6%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	89.7	79^th of 641 public high schools	87.7%		90.2	72^nd of 640 public high schools	88.8%	7	89.3	100.0	57.6	91.0															$6,729	$458	$6,271

Cities Near Zip Code 28697

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilkesboro	1.14 mi	4	162^nd
North Wilkesboro	2.91 mi	4	313^th
Moravian Falls	3.09 mi	2	70^th
Millers Creek	6.59 mi	2	160^th
Hays	7.97 mi	2	302^nd

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.