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Best High 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

984

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 is home to two high schools: Wilkes Central High School and Wilkes Early College High School. Based on the data, Wilkes Early College High School stands out as the top performer, consistently ranking in the top 79-53 out of 641 high schools in Wilkes County Schools over the past 3 years and receiving 4-5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger.

Wilkes Early College High School has significantly higher proficiency rates on End-of-Course (EOC) exams compared to Wilkes Central High School, as well as the district and state averages, especially in subjects like Biology, English II, and Math III. Additionally, Wilkes Early College has a 4-year graduation rate of 87.7%, on par with Wilkes Central High. In contrast, Wilkes Central High School's EOC proficiency rates range from 28.7% to 70.3%, lagging behind its early college counterpart.

While both schools have very high percentages of students receiving free/reduced lunch, indicating relatively low-income communities, the data suggests the Wilkes County school system may be performing well overall, with district-level performance above the state average in many subjects. The large difference in per-student spending and student-teacher ratios between the two schools may also contribute to the performance gap, with Wilkes Early College spending $6,729 per student and having a 28.2:1 student-teacher ratio, compared to Wilkes Central's $9,054 per student and 15:1 ratio.

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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)	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	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
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.