SANFORD - Niche.com rated Lee Early College as the 48th best public high school in North Carolina in its annual rankings of the top 100 schools in each state and across the nation.

According to its website, Niche ranks more than 100,000 public and private schools and districts based on dozens of statistics and 27 million opinions from students and parents. Lee Early College earned an A-minus "Overall Niche Grade" with particular "A" grades in the Educational Outcomes and Student Culture categories as well as an "A-minus" in Academics and Administration & Policies.

"We are honored by Niche rankings placing us as the 48th Best High School in the state of North Carolina," said Robert Biehl, principal of Lee Early College. "It is the result of the dedication of our staff and students to always meet and exceed our goals in our mission for success. Our staff, parents and students continue to work diligently to make Lee Early College a fun, engaging and positive atmosphere for learning."

Lee County Schools Superintendent Andy Bryan was also pleased by the honor. "We are thrilled with this recognition because it is just another example of the great things we have going on across the district," he said. "Mr. Biehl, his staff, and students are to be commended for taking LEC to even greater heights."

The Best Public High Schools listing ranks 14,431 high schools all across the country. A high ranking indicates that the school is an exceptional academic institution with a diverse set of high-achieving students who rate their experience very highly.

"This recognition rating is just another testament of the hard work of the LEC students and the faculties of both LEC and CCCC," said Carl Bryan, LEC Success Coach. "We have some really dedicated and focused students attending LEC who are focused on attending tier one universities such as NCSU, MIT and UNC-Chapel Hill. While they are focused on academics, they are also looking at other endeavors to make their community better. It's an exciting time to be working with these students."

Virginia Brown, Director of Secondary Partnerships for Central Carolina Community College, echoed the success of the Lee Early College program. "Lee Early College is a special program. The students at LEC work very hard and are well-supported by their high school and college faculty. This is a wonderful recognition for the school, students and community," said Brown.

Located on the campus of Central Carolina Community College in partnership with Lee County Schools, Lee Early College High School is an academically advanced public high school with more than 280 students in grades 9 through 12. Students who apply, and are accepted, have the opportunity to complete an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) or Applied Associate of Science (AAS) degree by the time they graduate high school. During their time at LEC, students take a blend of high school and dual-enrollment college courses that will allow them to earn both a high school diploma and a two-year college degree. Lee Early College was founded with the intent of attracting students who are often underrepresented in college: minorities, students from low-income families and those whose parents never attended college.