Harding University High School
Harding University High School, or simply Harding, is a public high school within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System that services the western central area of Mecklenburg County. Located at 2001 Alleghany Street, Charlotte, NC 28208, the school is fed by the surrounding neighborhoods of East / West Ballantyne. Established in 1935, it is home to 1,619 students and 85 faculty. The school’s mascot is the Rams.
Location
Harding is located along Alleghany St within the neighborhood of Westerly Hills. This area is mostly comprised of residential subdivisions and a few commercial shopping centers. Most of the homes here were built in the early 1960s. The neighborhood is also very close to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). As of 2023, the median Household Income for Westerly Hills Zip of 28208 was $47,717. The median sales price for homes in the area was $266,500 in September 2023, one of the lower price points in Charlotte. The area is home to Bryant Park and Westerly Hills Park both of which provide areas for recreation. Shopping is mostly on the neighborhood boundaries, with strip malls lining both Freedom Dr and Wilkinson Blvd. Walmart has a store here, and there are a few hotels that provide lodging for overnight airport travelers. Westerly Hills is accessed primarily via Wilkinson Blvd, Freedom Dr, and I-85 which both provide quick transportation to Uptown Charlotte.
Academics
Harding University High School services grades 9-12 and is generally considered a below-average school for academics in the Charlotte area. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI), 67.9% of all 2023 graduates finished school within 4 years compared to the NC State average of 86%. Greatschools also found that only 78% of graduates went on to attend a public university for at least 2 years. This does not favor Harding in terms of college readiness, an important factor when choosing education for your children. The school also offers 10 AP courses, 1 STEM program, 1 art course, and 1 world language course. Test scores for Hopewell in Math 1, Math 3, Biology, and English were all below the average for the state of North Carolina. The largest gap was in Biology where Harding students scored 32% lower than the state average. As of 2023, there are 85 teachers at Harding, resulting in the school having a Student / Teacher Ratio of 19-1.
Test Scores
Average SAT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Harding University High School did not submit SAT results to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) in 2023. This is likely because the school had less than the required 10 students to take the proctored exam.
Average ACT Test Scores: 2022-2023
Harding performed well below average for the Aptitude and Critical Thinking test (ACT). Average 2023 scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science were all well below those of their CMS, State, and National counterparts. The largest deficit held by Harding students was in English, where students were outscored by an average of 52% compared to their CMS counterparts.
4-Year Graduation Rate
Graduation Rate: 2018-2023
The 4-Year Graduation Rate at Harding University High School has been below 70% since 2018. This is an exceptionally low graduation rate and greatly underperforms those of CMS and the state of North Carolina. An interesting trend has emerged since the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic as graduation rates have actually increased when compared to historical data. This trend is opposite to that of other CMS and public State high schools as their graduation rates have decreased since the emergence of the virus.
Food Assistance Programs
Harding University High School, as well as all CMS schools, provides meals for underprivileged students via the CMS School Nutrition Services system. This service provides both breakfast and lunch options to students across Mecklenburg County. According to Mecklenburg County Public Health, approximately 15% of households are food insecure, so this program is a welcome addition to Harding’s cafeteria.
How to Enroll
If you are interested in enrolling at Harding University High School, there are a few things you need:
Use the CMS Geoportal to confirm your place of residence is within the appropriate school district here.
Compile documents necessary for enrollment. These requirements can be found here.
Download and complete the enrollment packet. Can be found on the far right side of the page here.
Submit your application to the school. This is required to be done in person and typically by appointment.
