By Rachel Baldauf
Scotland Early College High School in Laurinburg is the 70th best public high school in North Carolina, according to new rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
The school far out-ranked other public high schools in the Border Belt region of Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties. PSRC Early College at Robeson Community College ranked 168th. All others fell below the 350th spot on the list that ranked 686 public high schools in the state.
To determine a school’s 2024 ranking, U.S. News considered six metrics: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance and graduation rate. Based on these factors, each school received an overall score of 0-100. Schools that ranked below the 25th percentile and received scores below 25 were not ranked.
The news organization said its rankings are meant to provide parents and students with useful and accurate information about schools. It created the rankings alongside RTI International, a North Carolina-based nonprofit research firm.
“A great high school educates all of its students from different social and economic backgrounds, exposing them to challenging coursework on the path to graduation,” U.S. News said on its website.
Most of the highest-ranked schools on the list are in urban areas, including Greensboro, Jacksonville and Raleigh. Many rural school districts, including those in the Border Belt, struggle with funding. Robeson and Columbus counties rank among the lowest in the state for funding local schools, a 2023 report found.
Here’s how local high schools ranked in the U.S. News report. You can check out the full rankings across the state.
Bladen County Schools
- West Bladen High School in Bladenboro ranked 363rd in the state and received an overall score of 40.1. Data shows that 45% of students were proficient in mathematics, 47% were proficient in reading and 44% were proficient in science. The school had an 88% graduation rate.
- Bladen Early College in Dublin ranked 403rd in the state and received an overall score of 33.15. Data shows that 32% of students were proficient in mathematics, 63% were proficient in reading and 56% were proficient in science. The school’s graduation rate was not listed.
- East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown ranked 413th in the state and received an overall score of 31.53. Data shows that 51% of students were proficient in mathematics, 29% were proficient in reading and 48% were proficient in science. The school had a 90% graduation rate.
Columbus County Schools
- West Columbus High School in Cerro Gordo ranked 349th in the state and received an overall score of 43.07. Data shows that 36% of students were proficient in mathematics, 51% were proficient in reading and 30% were proficient in science. The school had an 86% graduation rate.
- South Columbus High School in Tabor City ranked 377th in the state and received an overall score of 37.97. Data shows that 33% of students were proficient in mathematics, 43% were proficient in reading and 49% were proficient in science. The school had an 81% graduation rate.
- East Columbus High School in Lake Waccamaw ranked 447th in the state and received an overall score of 26.08. Data shows that 20% of students were proficient in mathematics, 43% were proficient in reading and 32% were proficient in science. The school had a 91% graduation rate
- Columbus Career and College Academy in Whiteville ranked below the 25th percentile in the state and received an overall score lower than 25. Data shows that 26% of students were proficient in mathematics, 73% were proficient in reading and 49% were proficient in science. The school had an 85% graduation rate.
Whiteville City Schools
- Whiteville High School ranked 360th in the state and received an overall score of 40.82. Data shows that 34% of students were proficient in mathematics, 55% were proficient in reading and 57% were proficient in science. The school had a 90% graduation rate.
- North Whiteville Academy was not ranked due to low enrollment. It had a 59% graduation rate.
Public Schools of Robeson County
- PSRC Early College at RCC ranked 168th in the state and received an overall score of 69.25. Data shows that 84% of students were proficient in mathematics, 95% were proficient in reading and 93% were proficient in science. The school had a graduation rate above 95%, making it tied for the best graduation rate in the state.
- Lumberton Senior High School ranked 383rd in the state and received an overall score of 37.04. Data shows that 25% of students were proficient in mathematics, 37% were proficient in reading and 42% were proficient in science. The school had a 74% graduation rate.
- Saint Pauls High School ranked 431st in the state and received an overall score of 28.47. Data shows that 31% of students were proficient in mathematics, 37% were proficient in reading and 53% were proficient in science. The school had a 91% graduation rate.
- Fairmont High School, Purnell Swett High School and Red Springs High School all ranked below the 25th percentile in the state and received overall scores less than 25. Data shows that 10% of students at Fairmont High were proficient in mathematics, 29% were proficient in reading and 15% were proficient in science. The school had an 81% graduation rate. At Purnell Swett High School, 18% of students were proficient in mathematics, 41% were proficient in reading and 34% were proficient in science. The school had a 91% graduation rate. At Red Springs High School, 11% of students were proficient in mathematics, 29% were proficient in reading and 37% were proficient in science. The school had a 90% graduation rate.
Scotland County Schools
- Scotland Early College High School in Laurinburg ranked 70th in the state and received an overall score of 85.91. Data shows that 95% of students were proficient in mathematics, 79% were proficient in reading and 95% were proficient in science. The school had a graduation rate above 95%, making it tied for the best graduation rate in the state.
- Scotland High School in Laurinburg ranked 435th in the state and received an overall score of 28.15. Data shows that 17% of students were proficient in mathematics, 38% were proficient in reading and 30% were proficient in science. The school had an 88% graduation rate.
- Shaw Academy in Laurinburg was not ranked due to low enrollment. It had a 92% graduation rate.
