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

No. Use the Catawba 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 Catawba 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 Catawba County?

Start with the 44 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Catawba County Schools & Education

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

Catawba County, North Carolina

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

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

89.5%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.5%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,209

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

33/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#65

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Catawba County

Measured School Summary

Catawba County faces educational challenges with a school score of 33/100 and a graduation rate of 89.5%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,209 per pupil, Catawba County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 17% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Catawba 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

44 public schools and 3 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

33/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #65 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

89.5%

1.5 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,209

$760 below the state average

School coverage

3 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

Catawba County has 44 public schools across 3 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 Catawba 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

Catawba County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 28 of 44 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#65

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 7 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.

Catawba County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

15,678 students

Elementary 16Middle 5High 6Other 1

28 listed schools in this county slice.

Hickory City Schools

Elementary to high school visible

3,877 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 2Other 0

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Newton Conover City Schools

Elementary to high school visible

2,856 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 2Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Catawba County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 28 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 Catawba County?

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

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

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

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

Education Overview

About Schools in Catawba County, North Carolina

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Extensive School Options Across Three Districts

Catawba County supports a large educational infrastructure with 44 total schools and over 22,400 students. The network includes 24 elementary, 8 middle, and 10 high schools, including two specialized education centers.

High Graduation Rates Outpace State Average

The county boasts an impressive 89.5% graduation rate, surpassing both the state average of 88.0% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. This achievement comes even as the per-pupil expenditure of $6,209 remains lower than the state's $6,969 average.

A Multi-District Educational Hub

Catawba County Schools is the largest district with 15,678 students, followed by Hickory City Schools and Newton Conover City Schools. There are no charter schools in the county, keeping all 22,411 students within traditional public district boundaries.

Diverse Locales from City to Suburb

Students attend schools in a diverse mix of 16 suburban, 15 rural, and 10 city settings. While Saint Stephens High is the largest with 1,265 students, the average school size across the county remains manageable at 509 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Catawba County

Reported Enrollment

22,411

44 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary24

Middle8

High10

Other2

3 School Districts in Catawba County

Catawba County Schools

Hickory City Schools

Newton Conover City Schools

7 schools

2,856 students

44 Public Schools in Catawba County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 44 matching schools

Public schools in Catawba County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Saint Stephens High	Profile	Catawba County Schools	Hickory, 28601Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,265
Hickory High	Profile	Hickory City Schools	Hickory, 28601City: Small	9–12	High	1,014
Fred T Foard High	Profile	Catawba County Schools	Newton, 28658Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	956
Maiden High	Record	Catawba County Schools	Maiden, 28650Town: Fringe	9–12	High	870
Bandys High	Record	Catawba County Schools	Catawba, 28609Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	864
Bunker Hill High	Record	Catawba County Schools	Claremont, 28610Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	828
Newton-Conover High	Record	Newton Conover City Schools	Newton, 28658Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	758
Saint Stephens Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Conover, 28613City: Small	PK–6	Primary	698
Mountain View Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Hickory, 28602Suburb: Midsize	KG–6	Primary	686
Balls Creek Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Newton, 28658Rural: Fringe	PK–6	Primary	679
Harry M Arndt Middle	Record	Catawba County Schools	Hickory, 28601Suburb: Midsize	7–8	Middle	631
Newton-Conover Middle	Record	Newton Conover City Schools	Conover, 28613Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	603
Snow Creek Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Hickory, 28601Suburb: Midsize	PK–6	Primary	589
Oxford Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Claremont, 28610Rural: Fringe	PK–6	Primary	588
Viewmont Elementary	Record	Hickory City Schools	Hickory, 28601City: Small	PK–5	Primary	530
Startown Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Newton, 28658Suburb: Midsize	PK–6	Primary	529
Blackburn Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Newton, 28658Rural: Fringe	KG–6	Primary	527
Sherrills Ford Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Sherrills Ford, 28673Rural: Fringe	KG–6	Primary	517
Maiden Elementary	Record	Catawba County Schools	Maiden, 28650Town: Fringe	PK–6	Primary	499
Northview Middle	Record	Hickory City Schools	Hickory, 28601City: Small	6–8	Middle	480

Saint Stephens High

Catawba County Schools

Hickory, 28601 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,265 students

Hickory High

Hickory City Schools

Hickory, 28601 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,014 students

Fred T Foard High

Catawba County Schools

Newton, 28658 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High956 students

Maiden High

Catawba County Schools

Maiden, 28650 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High870 students

Bandys High

Catawba County Schools

Catawba, 28609 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High864 students

Bunker Hill High

Catawba County Schools

Claremont, 28610 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High828 students

Newton-Conover High

Newton Conover City Schools

Newton, 28658 / Suburb: Midsize

Record9–12High758 students

Saint Stephens Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Conover, 28613 / City: Small

RecordPK–6Primary698 students

Mountain View Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Hickory, 28602 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary686 students

Balls Creek Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Newton, 28658 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–6Primary679 students

Harry M Arndt Middle

Catawba County Schools

Hickory, 28601 / Suburb: Midsize

Record7–8Middle631 students

Newton-Conover Middle

Newton Conover City Schools

Conover, 28613 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle603 students

Snow Creek Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Hickory, 28601 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–6Primary589 students

Oxford Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Claremont, 28610 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–6Primary588 students

Viewmont Elementary

Hickory City Schools

Hickory, 28601 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary530 students

Startown Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Newton, 28658 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–6Primary529 students

Blackburn Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Newton, 28658 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–6Primary527 students

Sherrills Ford Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Sherrills Ford, 28673 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–6Primary517 students

Maiden Elementary

Catawba County Schools

Maiden, 28650 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–6Primary499 students

Northview Middle

Hickory City Schools

Hickory, 28601 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle480 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,209

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Catawba 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 Catawba County?

Catawba County has a school score of 33/100, 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 Catawba County?

The high school graduation rate in Catawba County is 89.5%, 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 Catawba County spend per student?

Catawba County spends $6,209 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Catawba County, North Carolina — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Catawba County, North Carolina?

How do schools in Catawba County perform academically?

What are the major school districts in Catawba County, North Carolina?

What is the school experience like in Catawba County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Carteret County

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Rockingham County

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School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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.

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