High Schools in York 03

The York 03 district in Rock Hill, SC, serves 4,930 high school students across three schools—Rock Hill High, Northwestern High, and South Pointe High—all covering grades 9-12. The district ranks 30th out of 75 in South Carolina with a 3-star rating, but individual school performance varies widely.

Northwestern High is the clear academic leader, ranking 78th in the state (up from 116th three years ago) and earning 3-star ratings every year. It boasts the best graduation rate (85.4%), lowest dropout rate (3.5%), and lowest chronic absenteeism (16.6%). Its Algebra 1 proficiency of 87.76% is a stunning 20 points above the district average and 23 points above the state. South Pointe High spends the most per student ($17,068) and has the best student-teacher ratio (13.4:1), yet its outcomes are middling—its state rank swung from 96th to 129th to 103rd over three years. Rock Hill High, the largest school with 1,980 students, consistently trails its peers: it has the lowest graduation rate (80.8%), highest dropout rate (5.3%), and weakest test scores in most subjects.

Several patterns stand out. All three schools exceed the state dropout rate of 2.1%, with Rock Hill's 5.3% being especially concerning. However, chronic absenteeism is better than the state average at every school. A curious trend: English 2 proficiency runs 16-24 points higher than English 1 across all schools, suggesting either strong student growth or a more accessible exam. Most striking is the Algebra 1 divergence—while Northwestern improved by 20.5 points, Rock Hill dropped 19.3 points and South Pointe fell 8.5 points between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. For parents, Northwestern High offers the strongest academics and consistency, while South Pointe High provides smaller classes but doesn't convert that into top results, and Rock Hill High faces the steepest challenges despite its size.