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Public high school · Carter County · Elizabethton, Tennessee

Unaka High School

Unaka High School rates 4.7, right at the middle of Carter County's high schools, whose rated median is 4.8.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.7this school

4.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Carter County median is 4.8.

#1,491 of 1,790 schools in Tennessee · Carter County: 4 high schools rated, median 4.8

The brief

A Carter County high school where students score 27 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,491 of 1,790 schools in Tennessee and 14 of 15 in Carter County.

Unaka High School is listed in Carter County, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math17%22 points below the Tennessee average of 39%187 students tested · 2025 TCAP
Reading38%3 points below the Tennessee average of 41%129 students tested · 2025 TCAP
Proficiency has fallen 7 points since 2019, to 27% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 TCAP; 26 test records from TN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.4
25% of the rating
Academics
4.8
25% of the rating
College Readiness
3.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 31% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 44% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 TCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 TCAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 TCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 TCAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 37643; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Unaka High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$50,455
Median home value
$156,200
Median rent
$733/mo
College educated
20.9%
Homeownership
73.5%
Poverty rate
17.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 37643; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
7
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
17
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,444/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Elizabethton. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Elizabethton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
2 AP courses
4.5% participation · state average 2.4 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
7 sports
4 boys' · 3 girls' · 7 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
4 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 6.0Compare →
  2. 5.1Compare →
  3. Unaka High Schoolthis school
    4.7
Two grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Unaka High School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Unaka High School serve?

Unaka High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Unaka High School?

Unaka High School has an enrollment of approximately 309 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Unaka High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Unaka High School is 13.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Unaka High School rank in TN?

Unaka High School ranks #1,491 of 1,790 schools in TN.

What is Unaka High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Unaka High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Unaka High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Unaka High School has 31% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Unaka High School a charter school?

No, Unaka High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Unaka High School a Title I school?

No, Unaka High School is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
309
Student-teacher ratio
13.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
23
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Carter County
4-year graduation
65–69%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#14 of 15
Schools in district
15
District spending per student
$11,526
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
19.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 37643)
33,690
Area average commute
24.8 min
Area median age
46.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Tennessee Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.