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Cardington-Lincoln High School

Q: Is Cardington-Lincoln High School a good school?

Cardington-Lincoln High School ranks 518 th of 795 Ohio high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

518^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 795 Ohio High Schools

Better than 35% of Ohio high schools

Summary

Cardington-Lincoln High School is a public school in Cardington, Ohio, serving grades 9–12 with 245 students as part of the Cardington-Lincoln Local district. The district ranks 559th of 773 Ohio districts (28th percentile, 1 star), while the high school ranks 518th of 795 schools in 2025–26 (35th percentile, 2 stars)—somewhat above its own district's standing, though both remain below the state median. Graduation is a relative strength: 94.1% in 2025–26, up from 87.7% in 2021–22 and peaking at 97.3% in 2023–24.

Academics split sharply by subject. In 2025–26, Cardington beat the state in American Government (79.5 vs 71.6), American History (78.1 vs 73.2), and Biology (72.2 vs 67.0). But English II (54.4 vs 62.7), Geometry (29.0 vs 43.3), and especially Algebra I (25.4 vs 61.6) fall below the state. Algebra I is the standout concern: it also trails the district's own 40.5% and is lower than every traditional nearby school listed, even Harding High School (43.0%). Mt Gilead High School, about five miles away, beats Cardington in every 2025–26 subject except Government, and Northmor High School and Buckeye Valley Local High School also score higher overall.

Chronic absenteeism is rising: 20.3% in 2025–26, above the district's 15.5% and up from 15.2% in 2023–24, though the student-teacher ratio improved to 14.4 in 2024–25. The reported free/reduced lunch rate was 98.86% in 2023–24—near-universal eligibility and far above nearby Buckeye Valley Local High School (23.12%), Pleasant High School (32.56%), and Highland High School (35.26%). Despite that need, low-SES subgroup effectiveness (44th percentile) is above the school's overall rank, while special education effectiveness fell from the 67th percentile in 2024–25 to 33rd in 2025–26.

245

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,977

Per pupil spending ?

95.9%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

349 Chesterville Ave
Cardington, OH 43315-9217

(419) 864-2691

District: Cardington-Lincoln Local

Feeder schools for Cardington-Lincoln High School:

Elementary:	Cardington-Lincoln Elementary School
Middle:	Cardington-Lincoln Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.7%

Hispanic:

2.0%

Two or more races:

2.0%

See top rated Ohio high schools

Compare Cardington-Lincoln High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 35th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Ohio average (56% vs 63% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg59%

Ohio avg63%

518^th of 795

Ohio public high schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Ohio High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

559^th of 773Cardington-Lincoln Local among Ohio districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	39.3	518 of 795	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	485 of 855	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	489 of 864	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.9	532 of 867	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.1	521 of 836	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.9	452 of 819	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	440 of 836	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.7	447 of 800	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.7	550 of 773	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	50.6	447 of 784	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.2	587 of 778	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	52.8	499 of 769	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	66.6	266 of 767	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.1	399 of 832	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.7	579 of 818	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.6	632 of 819	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.0	600 of 791	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	47.9	542 of 767	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	36.5	607 of 756	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.9	619 of 696	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	22.8	603 of 689	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	13.9	609 of 681	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2022	32.5	395 of 606	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.5	310 of 596	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.6	498 of 628	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.3	203 of 550	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	581 of 763	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	56.5	416 of 809	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.0	459 of 798	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.5	499 of 813	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.9	460 of 794	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.0	451 of 775	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.5	466 of 781	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.0	377 of 751	49.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2019	37.9	218 of 272	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.0	375 of 538	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	428 of 761	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	59.4	354 of 815	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	399 of 822	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.0	328 of 805	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.8	488 of 773	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.6	313 of 763	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.1	473 of 779	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	522 of 758	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	38.0	542 of 765	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	43.1	526 of 817	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	517 of 816	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	567 of 819	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	571 of 808	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.9	461 of 778	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	519 of 792	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.4	504 of 763	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	34.3	383 of 575	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	54.1	205 of 617	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.9	318 of 598	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.1	258 of 614	58.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Ohio percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	520 of 709	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.5	495 of 748	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	525 of 754	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	570 of 756	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.2	561 of 749	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.6	460 of 727	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.9	526 of 739	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.2	481 of 718	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2022)35th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)33rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)29th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)24th percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)20th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Ohio (2025-2026) ?

American Government80%+8 vs state

American History78%+5 vs state

Biology72%+5 vs state

English II54%-8 vs state

Geometry29%-14 vs state

Algebra I25%-36 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cardington-Lincoln High School

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Ohio State Tests Science (2026)	Ohio State Tests American Government (2026)	Ohio State Tests American History (2026)	Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2026)		Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (2026)		Ohio State Tests Biology (2026)	Ohio State Tests English II (2026)	Ohio State Tests Geometry (2026)	Ohio State Tests Algebra I (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Ohio State Tests Science 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests American Government End of Course	Ohio State Tests American History End of Course	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests Biology End of Course	Ohio State Tests English II End of Course	Ohio State Tests Geometry End of Course	Ohio State Tests Algebra I End of Course	Total
Cardington-Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	349 Chesterville Ave	Cardington	43315	Morrow County	Cardington-Lincoln Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 864-2691	245	17	14.4	95.9%	232 (94.7%)	3 (1.2%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	39.3	518^th of 795 public high schools	34.8%		48.7	485^th of 855 public high schools	43.3%	33		79.5	78.1					72.2	54.4	29.0	25.4	$12,977
Tomorrow Center	Public, Charter	8-12	3700 County Road 168	Cardington	43315	Morrow County	Tomorrow Center	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 718-4242	106	7	16.3	59.4%	92 (86.8%)	2 (1.9%)	7 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.7%)								(n/a)												$10,771
Mt Gilead High School	Public	9-12	338 W Park Ave	Mount Gilead	43338	Morrow County	Mount Gilead Exempted Village	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(419) 947-6065	274	26	10.5	—	247 (90.1%)	3 (1.1%)	12 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	61.2	263^rd of 795 public high schools	66.9%		70.9	183^rd of 855 public high schools	78.6%	80		75.6	90.4					80.8	76.3	53.5	60.0	$15,979
River Valley High School	Public	9-12	4280 Marion Mount Gilead Rd	Caledonia	43314	Marion County	River Valley Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 725-5605	455	25	18.2	35.8%	402 (88.4%)	15 (3.3%)	12 (2.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	58.2	316^th of 795 public high schools	60.3%		61.6	302^nd of 855 public high schools	64.7%	14		85.0	86.9					76.2	72.0	48.4	51.4	$18,760
Highland High School	Public	9-12	1300 State Route 314	Marengo	43334	Morrow County	Highland Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 768-3101	468	34	13.7	—	442 (94.4%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	48.4	431^st of 795 public high schools	45.8%		51.6	451^st of 855 public high schools	47.3%	20		76.3	88.9					78.0	65.6	33.3	35.1	$12,920
Tri-Rivers Career Center	Public	10-12	2222 Marion Mount Gilead Rd	Marion	43302	Marion County	Tri-Rivers	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 389-4681	583	38	15.4	—	518 (88.9%)	9 (1.5%)	30 (5.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.1%)								(n/a)
Northmor High School	Public	7-12	7819 State Route 19	Galion	44833	Crawford County	Northmor Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(419) 946-3946	450	32	14.0	—	431 (95.8%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	72.6	125^th of 795 public high schools	84.3%		70.1	193^rd of 855 public high schools	77.4%	68	81.5	85.5	81.8	44.6	71.3	75.0	67.9	86.4	85.0	73.2	72.3	$14,812
Harding High School	Public	9-12	1500 Harding Hwy E	Marion	43302	Marion County	Marion City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(740) 223-4701	916	69	13.2	60.2%	614 (67.0%)	76 (8.3%)	111 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	114 (12.4%)	24	626^th of 795 public high schools	21.3%		31.7	614^th of 855 public high schools	28.2%	12		63.4	57.4					61.1	53.2	28.5	43.0	$13,833
Pleasant High School	Public	9-12	1113 Owens Rd W	Marion	43302	Marion County	Pleasant Local	No	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 389-2389	347	23	14.9	—	320 (92.2%)	2 (0.6%)	11 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	49.8	416^th of 795 public high schools	47.7%		66.7	240^th of 855 public high schools	71.9%	176		82.8	68.3					57.5	76.1	52.4	63.5	$12,644
Buckeye Community School - Marion	Public, Charter	9-12	366 W Center St	Marion	43302	Marion County	Buckeye Community School - Marion	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(740) 231-2444	824	18	45.7	69.2%	683 (82.9%)	24 (2.9%)	57 (6.9%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (6.4%)								(n/a)												$14,036

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardington-Lincoln High School

What is the racial makeup of Cardington-Lincoln High School?

Students at Cardington-Lincoln High School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Cardington-Lincoln High School in?

Cardington-Lincoln Local

Is Cardington-Lincoln High School a good school?

Cardington-Lincoln High School ranks 518^th of 795 Ohio high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cardington-Lincoln High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Cardington-Lincoln High School.

What schools feed into Cardington-Lincoln High School?

Cardington-Lincoln High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cardington-Lincoln Elementary School
Middle : Cardington-Lincoln Middle School

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Latest Ohio data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 15, 2026

2025–26 Ohio State Tests scoresSep 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Department of Education.

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.