The Upper School Program at NCCS

At NCCS, students receive an education that is filtered through God's Truth. In addition to Bible classes and weekly chapel, all subjects are examined critically through a biblical lens, ensuring that topics and subject matter are eternally true and not tarnished by the ebbs and flows of societal dogma.

NCCS Upper School students participate in internships, Dual Enrollment courses, AP and Honors classes, and an array of cutting-edge electives through our college prep curriculum. Our graduates have been accepted into Duke, Harvard, Brown, Clemson, Georgia Tech, The University of Georgia, Pepperdine, The United States Naval Academy, and many more top colleges and universities across the nation. Eighty-eight percent of recent graduating classes earned the Hope Scholarship, with an average of 30 percent of NCCS graduates earning a 4.0 or higher each year. NCCS’s top 25 percent SAT score is 1355 and ACT score is 29.5. A broad range of electives in today’s leading fields lends hands-on training in computer science, graphic arts, world languages, journalism, marketing, business, healthcare science, music, arts, athletic training, and more. Our robust scholastic program ensures a limitless future for each NCCS graduate.

Upper School students are deeply discipled, encouraged to know God and to be known by Him.

Students participate in weekly chapel, as well as monthly Small Groups, which are faculty-led student small groups that unwrap biblical truths and hash out life together.

Upper School students also participate in Fall Retreat at the beginning of each new school year. These overnight retreats are held off campus, allowing students to grow in their relationships with each other, as well as with the Lord.

Students’ faith is further bolstered through Spiritual Emphasis Week in February, a meaningful week of worship and teaching. Spring Term further solidifies students' walks with the Lord, as they spend a week serving in the name of Christ on mission teams around the world.

Even more importantly -- as the "living curriculum," our faculty invests daily in students’ spiritual growth, fostering them through these critical years of personal development.

As a unique facet of our Upper School experience, our 9th through 12th grade students participate in Spring Term. This is an intentional week of outside-the-classroom trips and experiences that allow our students to impact their world for Christ.

Students select a trip from among 20 options, each of which contains a unique aspect of living on mission and serving others, whether in our own backyard or across the globe.

NCCS students travel from Haiti to Hawaii and from Appalachia to Atlanta. Our alumni consistently cite Spring Term as the most impactful experience during high school. This is where horizons are expanded and lives are changed forever, for eternity.

Upper School students are encouraged to participate in all four buckets of life at NCCS — academics, arts, athletics and student life. From 54 championship-caliber athletic teams to award-winning visual and performing arts programs, our students thrive in a well-rounded community. A cornerstone of the Upper School experience is the NCCS Academies, which are equivalent to magnet programs that allow students to “major” in the Arts; Business; Counseling, Ministry and Education; Exercise and Sport Science; and STEM. Finally, a wide variety of interest-based clubs, organizations, honor societies, and community service teams round out differentiated learning at NCCS.

NCCS Upper School students thrive in a service-oriented culture that encourages a mindset of giving back and loving others. From Spring Term service trips to regular food drives and nonprofit partnerships, our students learn to see themselves as social problem-solvers.

Through our Student Life department, 9th through 12th grade students complete community service hours annually, connecting with a variety of service opportunities to match their interests.

Upper School students also have the opportunity to participate in the Timothy Program, an intentional peer-to-peer mentoring format based on Paul’s mentorship of Timothy in the book of Acts. At graduation, students who go above and beyond in their service of others are recognized with special honors.

While conversations about college and career interests begin long before high school at NCCS, students in grades 9-12 are engaged in proactive, intentional planning. Our College Counseling department serves as an active partner to students and their families as they plan for every aspect of the college admissions process — from entrance testing to financial aid to scholarships.

As part of our college prep program for high school students, all families are given access to a user-friendly, web-based college planning program to guide college and career choices. Teachers continually mentor their students in this area, as well, keeping future planning at the forefront. Students are encouraged to set goals early and are supported as they create individualized plans to achieve them.