Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28722

Summary:

The 28722 zip code area in North Carolina is home to two high schools: Polk County High School and Polk County Early College, both part of the Polk County Schools district. While the schools share a similar 4-year graduation rate around 87.7%, Polk County Early College stands out as the higher-performing institution in the area.

Polk County Early College has consistently ranked in the top 30-70 high schools in North Carolina over the past 3 years, with a high ranking of 29th in 2023-2024. In contrast, Polk County High School has ranked in the 200s-300s. Additionally, Polk County Early College maintains a 4-5 star rating from School Digger, while Polk County High School has a 3 star rating. The early college also boasts significantly higher proficiency rates on end-of-course exams compared to district and state averages, with 100% proficiency in English II and 91.7% in Math III in 2024-2025.

Despite Polk County High School's larger enrollment of 593 students, compared to Polk County Early College's 55 students, the early college appears to operate more efficiently, spending $9,557 per student versus $12,130 at the high school. Both schools serve high-poverty areas, with free/reduced lunch rates over 94%, suggesting the need for additional resources and support. Further investigation into the factors contributing to Polk County Early College's success could provide valuable insights for improving educational outcomes in the region.

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
Polk County High School	Public	9-12	1681 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2525	596	32	18.5	99.5%	433 (72.7%)	42 (7.0%)	93 (15.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.5%)	52	280^th of 641 public high schools	56.3%		50.8	292^nd of 640 public high schools	54.4%	12	48.2	66.9	34.2	70.7	$12,130	$897	$11,232
Polk County Early College	Public	9-12	1545 East NC 108 Hwy	Columbus	28722	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 894-2698	52	3	18.9	94.2%	46 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	90.8	70^th of 641 public high schools	89.1%		94.8	29^th of 640 public high schools	95.5%	41		100.0		91.7	$9,557	$127	$9,430

Cities Near Zip Code 28722

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Columbus	1.54 mi	2	95^th
Tryon	3.56 mi	1	109^th
Mill Spring	3.98 mi	3	136^th
Saluda	8.7 mi	1	6^th
Lake Lure	11.44 mi	1

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.