Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best High Schools in Zip Code 28786

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

936

Students

Top rankedTuscola High214^th of 641 North Carolina high schools

✦

Newly ranked this year

Central Haywood High

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The 28786 zip code area is home to two high schools: Tuscola High and Central Haywood High. While both serve economically disadvantaged student populations, Tuscola High stands out as the stronger performing school, with higher academic proficiency, graduation rates, and statewide rankings compared to Central Haywood High.

Tuscola High, with 908 students, consistently ranks higher in the statewide Haywood County Schools district and North Carolina, reaching as high as 154th out of 640 high schools in the 2023-2024 school year. In contrast, Central Haywood High, with only 68 students, has struggled academically, with proficiency rates well below the district and state averages.

Despite Central Haywood High spending significantly more per student ($18,725) compared to Tuscola High ($9,911), its academic performance remains poor, raising questions about the efficient use of resources and the factors contributing to the school's challenges. Overall, the data highlights the need for further investigation and targeted interventions to support the improvement of Central Haywood High.

Load more schools when map is moved

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
Tuscola High	Public	9-12	564 Tuscola School Rd	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2408	873	43	20.3	99.7%	725 (83.0%)	16 (1.8%)	93 (10.7%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	25 (2.9%)	62.6	214^th of 641 public high schools	66.6%		75.2	154^th of 640 public high schools	75.9%	60	57.3	67.1	54.4	68.3	$9,911	$860	$9,050
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	63	7	8.5	93.7%	48 (76.2%)	2 (3.2%)	10 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)	4.6	622^nd of 641 public high schools	3.0%					(n/a)	18.8	13.0		25.0	$18,725	$2,409	$16,316

Cities Near Zip Code 28786

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Waynesville	1.02 mi	8	182^nd
Clyde	4.19 mi	3	66^th
Canton	6.13 mi	5	125^th
Sylva	11.62 mi	5	256^th
Candler	14.84 mi	6	241^st

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.