Massey Hill Classical High School ranked highest among Cumberland County’s public high schools, according to recently released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
Massey Hill landed at No. 49 among public high schools in North Carolina. Jack Britt High School was the district’s only other school to place among the state’s top 100, ranking No. 82.
Cross Creek Early College ranked third in the district and No. 121 statewide, followed by Cumberland International Early College High School at No. 169 and Cumberland Polytechnic at No. 173.
U.S. News evaluated about 27,000 eligible public high schools across the country and ranked nearly 18,000. A total of 604 North Carolina high schools received rankings, according to EducationNC.
The 2026–27 rankings were developed with RTI International, a nonprofit research institute based in Research Triangle Park, using data from the 2023-34 school year The rankings were released on August 18. On September 1, the state released performance grades for Cumberland County schools and campuses across the state.
For the U.S. News rankings, schools were evaluated using six indicators: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, performance among underserved students, and graduation rates.
College readiness and curriculum breadth consider students’ participation and performance in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. The assessment-performance measure compares results with what would be expected at schools serving students with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
What’s Changing at Several Ranked Schools
The rankings arrive as Cumberland County Schools is in the midst of a multiyear consolidation and construction plan that will reshape several district high schools.
Massey Hill, the district’s highest-ranked school, appeared on an earlier list of campuses recommended for closure but was removed from the final plan.
District officials have said Massey Hill is needed to preserve a classical-program option when Reid Ross Classical High School becomes temporary swing space for E.E. Smith High School students during construction of a new campus.
The school board voted in February to begin the statutory closure process for Reid Ross, but a final closure vote has not been taken.
More recent choice-program recommendations say that, if Reid Ross closes, its high school students would return to their assigned schools, and the district would not offer another year-round high school option. The school board has not yet approved those recommendations.
Reid Ross ranked sixth among Cumberland County high schools and No. 192 statewide. E.E. Smith ranked 11th in the district and No. 437 statewide.
The construction plan also calls for an addition at Gray’s Creek High School, which ranked 10th in the district and No. 297 statewide.
Cumberland Academy 6–12 Virtual School, whose high school students were moved to Seventy-First High School for the 2026–27 school year, ranked No. 445 statewide. Seventy-First fell within the statewide range of No. 478 to No. 604.
How CCS High Schools Ranked
| High school | N.C. rank | National rank |
| Massey Hill Classical High School | 49 | 1,520 |
| Jack Britt High School | 82 | 2,712 |
| Cross Creek Early College | 121 | 3,461 |
| Cumberland International Early College High School | 169 | 5,049 |
| Cumberland Polytechnic | 173 | 5,211 |
| Reid Ross Classical High School | 192 | 5,573 |
| Cape Fear High School | 198 | 5,671 |
| Pine Forest High School | 261 | 6,974 |
| Terry Sanford High School | 288 | 7,600 |
| Gray’s Creek High School | 297 | 7,726 |
| E.E. Smith High School | 437 | 12,144 |
| Cumberland Academy 6–12 Virtual School | 445 | 12,489 |
| South View High School | 446 | 12,493 |
| Westover High School | 452 | 12,634 |
| Douglas Byrd High School | 478–604 | 13,460–17,945 |
| Seventy-First High School | 478–604 | 13,460–17,945 |
Source: U.S. News & World Report’s 2026–27 Best High Schools rankings.
