Can I use Caldwell County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Caldwell County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Caldwell County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Caldwell County?

Start with the 25 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Caldwell County Schools & Education

Name: Caldwell County, North Carolina Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Caldwell County, North Carolina

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

89.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,674

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#45

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Caldwell County

Measured School Summary

Caldwell County faces educational challenges with a school score of 37/100 and a graduation rate of 89.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,674 per pupil, Caldwell County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 7% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Caldwell County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

25 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

37/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #45 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

89.0%

1.0 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,674

$295 below the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Caldwell County has 25 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Caldwell County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Caldwell County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 24 of 25 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#45

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 3 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Caldwell County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

10,758 students

Elementary 14Middle 4High 6Other 0

24 listed schools in this county slice.

Oak Hill Charter School

Elementary school only in this slice

188 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Caldwell County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 24 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Caldwell County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Caldwell County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Caldwell County Graduation Rate Surpasses State and National Benchmarks

Education data brief for Caldwell County, North Carolina.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

Caldwell County reports a graduation rate of 89.0 percent, higher than both the North Carolina average of 88.0 percent and the national average of 87.0 percent. This rate is achieved with a per-pupil expenditure of $6,674, which is lower than the state average of $6,969 and the national average of $13,000. The largest district in the county is Caldwell County Schools, which serves 10,758 students across 24 institutions. The county features large high schools, most notably South Caldwell High with 1,317 students. The directory data shows a balanced school mix, with 10 rural, 10 suburban, and 5 city schools. The composite school score for the county is 37.0, trailing the state average of 40.3 and the national median of 50.0. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Caldwell County

Reported Enrollment

10,946

25 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

4% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary15

Middle4

High6

Other0

2 School Districts in Caldwell County

Caldwell County Schools

Oak Hill Charter School

1 school

188 students

25 Public Schools in Caldwell County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 25 matching schools

Public schools in Caldwell County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
South Caldwell High	Profile	Caldwell County Schools	Hudson, 28638Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,317
Hibriten High	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	843
West Caldwell High	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	753
Hudson Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Hudson, 28638Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	654
Granite Falls Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Granite Falls, 28630Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	582
Hudson Middle	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Hudson, 28638Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	581
Granite Falls Middle	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Granite Falls, 28630Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	537
William Lenoir Middle	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	509
Gamewell Middle	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	506
Gamewell Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	495
Davenport A+ School	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645City: Small	PK–5	Primary	464
Dudley Shoals Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Granite Falls, 28630Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	437
Caldwell Early College	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Hudson, 28638Suburb: Midsize	9–UG	High	396
Lower Creek Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645City: Small	PK–5	Primary	392
Baton Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Granite Falls, 28630Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	368
Collettsville School	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Collettsville, 28611Rural: Fringe	PK–8	Primary	334
Sawmills Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Granite Falls, 28630Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	331
Whitnel Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645City: Small	PK–5	Primary	300
Valmead Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645City: Small	PK–5	Primary	287
Happy Valley Elementary	Record	Caldwell County Schools	Lenoir, 28645Rural: Fringe	PK–8	Primary	222

South Caldwell High

Caldwell County Schools

Hudson, 28638 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,317 students

Hibriten High

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High843 students

West Caldwell High

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High753 students

Hudson Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Hudson, 28638 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary654 students

Granite Falls Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Granite Falls, 28630 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary582 students

Hudson Middle

Caldwell County Schools

Hudson, 28638 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle581 students

Granite Falls Middle

Caldwell County Schools

Granite Falls, 28630 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle537 students

William Lenoir Middle

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle509 students

Gamewell Middle

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle506 students

Gamewell Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary495 students

Davenport A+ School

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary464 students

Dudley Shoals Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Granite Falls, 28630 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary437 students

Caldwell Early College

Caldwell County Schools

Hudson, 28638 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–UGHigh396 students

Lower Creek Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary392 students

Baton Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Granite Falls, 28630 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary368 students

Collettsville School

Caldwell County Schools

Collettsville, 28611 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–8Primary334 students

Sawmills Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Granite Falls, 28630 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary331 students

Whitnel Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary300 students

Valmead Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary287 students

Happy Valley Elementary

Caldwell County Schools

Lenoir, 28645 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–8Primary222 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,674

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Caldwell County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jones County (97.0%), Pamlico County (95.7%), and Currituck County (95.0%) currently lead North Carolina among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?

Across North Carolina counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,969. The highest current county values are Hyde County ($10,356), Tyrrell County ($9,655), and Orange County ($8,629). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Caldwell County?

Caldwell County has a school score of 37/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Caldwell County?

The high school graduation rate in Caldwell County is 89.0%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Caldwell County spend per student?

Caldwell County spends $6,674 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

New Hanover County

North Carolina

+0 pts

37/100

School score

Bertie County

North Carolina

-0 pts

37/100

School score

Rowan County

North Carolina

+1 pts

38/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

Explore more data for Caldwell County

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Rate Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score