Hickory City Schools

432 4th Avenue Sw
Hickory, NC 28602-2805
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Hickory City Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 2 public high schools serving 1,225 students in Hickory City Schools. This district's average high testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Hickory City Schools have an average math proficiency score of 61% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 55% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Hickory City School have a Graduation Rate of 87%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School, with ≥90% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 62% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the North Carolina public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
9 Schools
758 Schools
# Students
3,735 Students
568,636 Students
# Teachers
211 Teachers
31,535 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
18:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Hickory City Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has decreased from 91% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NC)
#161 out of 325 school districts
(Top 50%)
(21-22)
52%
51%
48%
50%
65%
63%
86%
86.5%
(2022-23)
29.2%
28.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.75
0.71
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
5%
4%
% Hispanic
26%
21%
% Black
20%
25%
% White
37%
44%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,116 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,318. The school district revenue/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,898 is less than the state median of $13,934. The school district spending/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NC)
Total Revenue
$49 MM
$20,622 MM
Spending
$48 MM
$21,575 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,116
$13,318
Spending / Student
$12,898
$13,934

Best Hickory City Schools Public High Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School
Magnet School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: 80-89%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
409 8th Avenue Ne
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-6738
Gr: 9-12 | 201 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 47%
Rank: #22.
Hickory High School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1234 3rd Street Ne
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 322-5860
Gr: 9-12 | 1,024 students Student-teacher ratio: 27:1 Minority enrollment: 65%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 3,735 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 63%
  • : 86% (Top 50% in NC)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 52% (Top 50%)
  • : 48% (Btm 50%)
  • : 65% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NC Dept. of Education

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