The Columbus County Community Foundation awarded the Border Belt Independent a $5,000 grant to fund Data Point, a concise feature that focuses on numbers and statistics highlighting an issue or trend in the Border Belt. The Columbus County Community Foundation is a nonprofit that connects people with causes and organizations they care about. It is part of the North Carolina Community Foundation network.
Early-college high schools in rural southeastern North Carolina top the list of best public high schools in the region, according to recently released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
Scotland Early College High School ranked highest among public schools in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties. It landed at the No. 99 spot among all public high schools in North Carolina.
PSRC Early College at Robeson Community College ranked No. 1 in Robeson County and No. 201 in the state. Bladen Early College High School ranked No. 1 in Bladen County No. 232 in the state.
U.S. News & World Report releases an annual school-rankings report. The 2026-2027 list, compiled with research firm RTI, ranks 18,000 of 27,000 schools surveyed across the country. Rankings are determined by several factors, including college readiness, proficiency rates on state exams, graduate rates, and performance by underserved students.
Here’s how schools in the Border Belt ranked in their district, statewide, and nationwide.
