Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28773

Summary:

The 28773 zip code is home to a single standout public elementary school, Saluda Elementary School, which serves grades PK-5 and is part of the Polk County Schools district. Despite having a high percentage of students from low-income families, Saluda Elementary consistently ranks among the top 100 elementary schools in North Carolina and significantly outperforms the district and state averages on standardized tests across multiple subjects and grade levels.

Saluda Elementary School's exceptional academic performance is evidenced by its statewide rankings, with the school placing 92nd out of 1,490 elementary schools in 2024-2025 and 91st out of 1,505 schools in 2023-2024. In the 2024-2025 school year, 95.6% of 3rd graders at Saluda Elementary were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 77.6% for the Polk County Schools district and 64.1% for the state of North Carolina. The school's low student-teacher ratio of 9:1 and high per-student spending of $13,956 in the 2018-2019 school year may be contributing factors to its success.

Saluda Elementary School's exceptional performance, despite serving a high-needs student population, suggests that the school is employing effective teaching practices and targeted interventions to support its students. The school's success could provide valuable insights for the Polk County Schools district and the state of North Carolina, potentially leading to the replication of best practices in other schools and improving educational outcomes across the region.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Saluda Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	214 E Main Street	Saluda	28773	Polk County	Polk County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 894-1040	142	14	10.3	97.9%	125 (88.0%)	2 (1.4%)	10 (7.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	91.2	92^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	93.8%		91.7	91^st of 1505 public elementary schools	94.0%	1	95.6	76.9	94.4	78.3	61.5	94.4	77.8	$13,956	$1,586	$12,371

Cities Near Zip Code 28773

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Saluda	2.08 mi	1	6^th
Tryon	4.36 mi	1	109^th
Flat Rock	5.83 mi	3	299^th
East Flat Rock	6.88 mi	3	370^th
Columbus	7.15 mi	2	95^th

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.