Caldwell Early College

Q: Is Caldwell Early College a good school?

Caldwell Early College ranks 126 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Caldwell Early College is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Hudson, North Carolina, with a student population of 396. The school is part of the Caldwell County Schools district, which is ranked 151 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Caldwell Early College consistently outperforms the Caldwell County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in End-of-Course (EOC) test scores, with 92% proficiency in Math I compared to 37% for the district and 36.9% for the state. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 20% of North Carolina high schools in recent years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Notably, the school's Hispanic students and low socioeconomic status students rank in the top 15% and top 20% of North Carolina high schools, respectively, indicating a strong commitment to equity and inclusion.

Caldwell Early College's focus on early college programming, where students can earn college credits while in high school, sets it apart from the surrounding schools, such as Gateway School, West Caldwell High, and Hibriten High, which it outperforms on various academic metrics. The school's proximity to Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy, another high-performing school in the district, may also contribute to its strong academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2859 Hickory Blvd SW
Hudson, NC 28638

(828) 759-4636

District: Caldwell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
126^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,027

Student/teacher ratio: 21.7

Number of students: 398

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.4%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Caldwell Early College ranks better than 80.3% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.71. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.4%), Hispanic (17.3%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Caldwell County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Caldwell Early College is 21.7, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Caldwell Early College employs 18.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Caldwell Early College is $7,027, which is the lowest among 6 high schools in the Caldwell County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Caldwell Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell Early College 126^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Caldwell Early College in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Caldwell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Caldwell County Schools 151^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Caldwell Early College

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Rank History for all students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	85.53	97^th	594	83.7%
2022	86.90	95^th	621	84.7%
2023	83.59	110^th	626	82.4%
2024	81.71	126^th	640	80.3%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	93.28	53^rd	544	90.3%
2023	79.31	109^th	597	81.7%
2024	86.27	99^th	613	83.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	83.06	98^th	594	83.5%
2023	82.67	102^nd	588	82.7%
2024	79.09	134^th	602	77.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	77.47	58^th	398	85.4%
2023	56.31	206^th	403	48.9%
2024	58.24	211^th	403	47.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	92.13	65^th	585	88.9%
2023	81.51	123^rd	602	79.6%
2024	82.32	124^th	607	79.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	90.47	53^rd	436	87.8%
2023	90.73	53^rd	449	88.2%
2024	90.07	58^th	454	87.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Caldwell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	80.02	108^th	534	79.8%
2023	78.57	117^th	537	78.2%
2024	75.16	146^th	553	73.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Caldwell Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	66	4	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	74
2008	134	6	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	2	150
2009	198	10	2	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	225
2010	267	14	2	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	300
2011	273	9	3	18	1	0	5	0	309
2012	274	12	2	21	1	0	6	0	316
2013	276	12	1	23	1	0	6	0	319
2014	273	13	3	27	0	0	8	0	324
2015	318	14	4	38	1	0	10	0	385
2016	310	13	4	42	1	0	9	0	379
2017	321	12	5	44	1	0	9	0	392
2018	314	9	4	47	1	0	12	0	387
2019	319	9	5	53	0	0	12	0	398
2020	318	7	4	56	0	0	13	0	398
2021	316	10	6	63	0	0	14	0	409
2022	315	8	7	68	0	0	11	0	409
2023	305	8	5	65	0	0	13	0	396
2024	300	9	7	69	0	0	13	0	398

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Caldwell Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	74	5.0	14.8	39.7
2008	150	9.9	15.2	32.4
2009	225	15.0	15.0	36.9
2010	300	17.2	17.3	39.7
2011	309	17.5	17.6	48.9
2012	316	18.2	17.3	46.2
2013	319	18.0	17.7	50.5
2014	324	18.0	18.0	47.5
2015	385	18.0	21.3	39
2016	379	19.0	19.9	38.3
2017	392	18.0	21.7	35.5
2018	387	18.0	21.5	27.9
2019	398	19.0	20.9	31.4
2020	398	19.0	20.9	29.1
2021	409	18.5	22.1	29.1
2022	409	18.0	22.7	20.8
2023	396	17.3	22.8	39.4
2024	398	18.3	21.7	37.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Caldwell Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	74	5.0	14.8	39.7
2008	150	9.9	15.2	32.4
2009	225	15.0	15.0	36.9
2010	300	17.2	17.3	39.7
2011	309	17.5	17.6	48.9
2012	316	18.2	17.3	46.2
2013	319	18.0	17.7	50.5
2014	324	18.0	18.0	47.5
2015	385	18.0	21.3	39
2016	379	19.0	19.9	38.3
2017	392	18.0	21.7	35.5
2018	387	18.0	21.5	27.9
2019	398	19.0	20.9	31.4
2020	398	19.0	20.9	29.1
2021	409	18.5	22.1	29.1
2022	409	18.0	22.7	20.8
2023	396	17.3	22.8	39.4
2024	398	18.3	21.7	37.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Caldwell Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$517 (7.4%)	$6,510 (92.6%)	$7,027

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Caldwell Early College

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Caldwell Early College)	88.8	70.4	18.4%
End of Course Biology (Caldwell County Schools)	59.8	47.7	12.1%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Caldwell Early College)	97.6	83.9	13.7%
End of Course English II (Caldwell County Schools)	60.9	53.5	7.4%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Caldwell Early College)	84.1	76.9	7.2%
End of Course Math I (Caldwell County Schools)	50.1	41.6	8.5%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Caldwell Early College)	78	81.5	3.5%
End of Course Math III (Caldwell County Schools)	50.1	67.1	17%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	398	396	0.5%
African American	9	8	11.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	53	65	22.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	319	305	4.4%
Two or More Races	12	13	8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.4%	39.4%	8%

Schools Near Caldwell Early College

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Caldwell Early College	Public	9-12	2859 Hickory Blvd SW	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4636	398	18	21.7	37.4%	300 (75.4%)	9 (2.3%)	69 (17.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.3%)	81.7	126^th of 640 public high schools	80.3%		83.6	110^th of 626 public high schools	82.4%	16	75.8	83.3	92.0	72.0						$7,027	$517	$6,510
Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy	Public	9-12	2857 Hickory Boulevard	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 759-4640	215	13	16.7	39.1%	179 (83.3%)	2 (0.9%)	22 (10.2%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	80.9	130^th of 640 public high schools	79.7%		78.3	138^th of 626 public high schools	78.0%	8	71.9	87.9	50.0	89.5						$8,388	$210	$8,178
South Caldwell High	Public	9-12	7035 Spartan Drive	Hudson	28638	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 396-2188	1,299	85	15.2	98.7%	1,082 (83.3%)	18 (1.4%)	129 (9.9%)	9 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.5%)	46.9	318^th of 640 public high schools	50.3%		53.1	270^th of 626 public high schools	56.9%	48	50.3	60.4	39.8	60.3						$9,486	$729	$8,757
Hibriten High	Public	9-12	1350 Panther Trail SE	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-7376	811	52	15.7	99.6%	529 (65.2%)	74 (9.1%)	139 (17.1%)	11 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.9%)	38.2	382^nd of 640 public high schools	40.3%		39.7	356^th of 626 public high schools	43.1%	26	39.7	55.6	34.6	60.8						$10,067	$942	$9,125
West Caldwell High	Public	9-12	300 W Caldwell Drive	Lenoir	28645	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 758-5583	687	47	14.5	99.1%	387 (56.3%)	69 (10.0%)	165 (24.0%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (8.6%)	17.9	529^th of 640 public high schools	17.3%		23.7	490^th of 626 public high schools	21.7%	39	33.0	46.7	15.1	34.3						$11,229	$831	$10,398
Gateway School	Public	6-12	1889 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-8373	62	12	5.1	95.2%	41 (66.1%)	3 (4.8%)	9 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (14.5%)	8.2	608^th of 640 public high schools	5.0%		10.5	577^th of 626 public high schools	7.8%	31	18.8		14.3			9.1		9.1	36.4	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
Jimmy C Draughn High School	Public	9-12	709 Lovelady Road NE	Valdese	28690	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 879-4200	656	35	18.7	99.4%	483 (73.6%)	14 (2.1%)	75 (11.4%)	44 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.8%)	71.4	172^nd of 640 public high schools	73.1%		66.2	189^th of 626 public high schools	69.8%	17	60.0	65.6	79.7	79.0						$9,112	$776	$8,336
East Burke High	Public	9-12	3695 East Burke Boulevard	Connelly Springs	28612	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 397-5541	868	45	19.3	99.3%	672 (77.4%)	11 (1.3%)	73 (8.4%)	62 (7.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (5.6%)	54.5	265^th of 640 public high schools	58.6%		49.1	297^th of 626 public high schools	52.6%	32	61.3	59.8	53.9	54.8						$9,240	$806	$8,435
Hallyburton Academy	Public	6-12	205 South Main Street	Drexel	28619	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 437-4184	102	9	11.3	97.1%	59 (57.8%)	8 (7.8%)	16 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.9%)	14 (13.7%)	5.3	615^th of 640 public high schools	3.9%		4.8	604^th of 626 public high schools	3.5%	11	20.9	16.0			20.0		6.7		50.0	$18,048	$1,530	$16,517
Hickory High	Public	9-12	1234 3rd Street NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 322-5860	1,034	58	17.9	99.5%	339 (32.8%)	203 (19.6%)	329 (31.8%)	45 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	114 (11.0%)	37.8	390^th of 640 public high schools	39.1%		38.8	362^nd of 626 public high schools	42.2%	28	43.6	57.1	44.5	47.3						$8,704	$694	$8,010

Frequently Asked Questions about Caldwell Early College

What is the racial makeup of Caldwell Early College?

Students at Caldwell Early College are 75% White, 17% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

What district is Caldwell Early College in?

Caldwell County Schools

How many students attend Caldwell Early College?

In the 2023-24 school year, 398 students attended Caldwell Early College.

Is Caldwell Early College a good school?

Caldwell Early College ranks 126^th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.