High Schools in Nelson County

Nelson County, Kentucky is home to two high schools: Nelson County High School and Thomas Nelson High School. While both schools face challenges in meeting state academic standards, Thomas Nelson High School appears to have a slight edge over Nelson County High School in terms of statewide ranking and performance.

According to the data, Thomas Nelson High School has been ranked between 168-179 out of 271-290 Kentucky high schools in the past 3 years, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. In comparison, Nelson County High School has been ranked between 190-196 out of 271-290 Kentucky high schools during the same period, also with a 2-star rating. Additionally, Nelson County High School had a higher four-year graduation rate of 97.9% in 2023-2024, compared to 92.7% for Thomas Nelson High School.

Both schools perform below the state average in most subject areas, including ACT English, Math, and Reading, as well as KSA Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Editing and Mechanics. The largest gaps between the schools and the state average are in Mathematics, where both schools are around 6-8 percentage points below the state average. Nelson County schools also serve a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with Nelson County High School having a 42.47% free and reduced lunch rate compared to 38.12% at Thomas Nelson High School.