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Best Schools in Hickory, NC
Hickory, NC has 43 public schools (10 high, 9 middle, 21 elementary) serving 23,294 students. On average they score 59% on state proficiency tests against a projected 51%, so schools in Hickory meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Hickory, NC
The top high schools in Hickory, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Challenger Early College High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 352 Students
2. Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 229 Students
3. East Burke High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Burke County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 879 Students
4. Saint Stephens High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1265 Students
5. Fred T Foard High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 956 Students
6. South Caldwell High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Caldwell County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1317 Students
7. Alexander Central High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alexander County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1312 Students
8. Maiden High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 870 Students
9. Bunker Hill High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 828 Students
10. Hickory High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1014 Students
Best Middle Schools in Hickory, NC
The top middle schools in Hickory, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. West Alexander Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alexander County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 467 Students
2. Jacobs Fork Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 440 Students
3. Granite Falls Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Caldwell County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 537 Students
4. Maiden Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 421 Students
5. East Burke Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Burke County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 645 Students
6. Harry M Arndt Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 631 Students
7. River Bend Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 475 Students
8. Northview Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 480 Students
9. Grandview Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 400 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Hickory, NC
The top elementary schools in Hickory, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Oakwood Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 341 Students
2. George Hildebrand Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Burke County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 318 Students
3. Mountain View Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 686 Students
4. Bethlehem Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alexander County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 458 Students
5. Maiden Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 499 Students
6. Snow Creek Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 589 Students
7. W M Jenkins Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hickory City Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 261 Students
8. Granite Falls Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Caldwell County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 582 Students
9. Blackburn Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 527 Students
10. Banoak Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Catawba County Schools • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 291 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Hickory, NC
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Hickory, NC has a total population of 64,793 with 24% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 89%, and 31% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Hickory, NC
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Hickory, NC.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
25.33 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
4.02 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
21.31 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Hickory, NC.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Hickory, NC.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Hickory, NC Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Hickory, NC
How many schools are in Hickory, NC?
Hickory, NC has 43 public schools: 10 high schools, 9 middle schools and 21 elementary schools, serving 23,294 students in total.
How do schools in Hickory perform on state tests?
On average, 43 schools in Hickory score 59% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 51%, so on average schools in Hickory meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Hickory?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Hickory, NC
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 54%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 56%
- Projected: 52%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 60%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 58%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 59%
- Projected: 54%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 60%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Every school in Hickory
16 of 17 schools in Hickory carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 3B: 7C: 3D: 3
All 17 public schools we grade in Hickory. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (4)
Middle and junior high schools (3)
Elementary and primary schools (10)
- Clyde Campbell Elementary
- Longview Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
- Oakwood Elementary
- Ray Childers Elementary
- Snow Creek Elementary
- Southwest Primary
- Viewmont Elementary
- W M Jenkins Elementary
- Webb A Murray Elementary
Private schools (4)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.