Best public high schools in North Carolina
As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.
It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.4 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.
For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.
Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in North Carolina using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
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#30. East Chapel Hill High School
– Location: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 1,475 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#29. Sandhoke Early College
– Location: Hoke County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 458 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#28. Chapel Hill High School
– Location: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 1,505 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#27. Wilson Early College Academy
– Location: Wilson County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 241 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#26. Atkins Academic & Technology High School
– Location: Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 1,206 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
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#25. Collaborative College for Technology & Leadership (CCTL)
– Location: Iredell-Statesville Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 227 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#24. Charlotte Engineering Early College
– Location: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 299 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#23. STEM Early College at Nc A&T. Su
– Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 192 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#22. Weaver Academy for Performing & Visual Arts and Advanced Technology
– Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 306 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#21. Central Academy of Technology & Arts
– Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 809 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#20. Johnston County Early College Academy
– Location: Johnston County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 278 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#19. Wake STEM Early College High School
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 282 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#18. Weddington High School
– Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 1,844 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#17. Lee Early College
– Location: Lee County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 278 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#16. Wayne Early Middle College High School
– Location: Wayne County Public Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 228 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#15. Highland School of Technology
– Location: Gaston County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 533 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#14. Isaac M. Bear High School
– Location: New Hanover County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 230 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#13. William G. Enloe High School
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 2,416 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#12. Green Hope High School
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 2,070 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#11. Panther Creek High School
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 2,326 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#10. Ardrey Kell High School
– Location: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 3,494 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#9. Marvin Ridge High School
– Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 2,032 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#8. Early College of Forsyth
– Location: Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 260 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#7. Onslow Early College High School
– Location: Onslow County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 190 (32:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#6. Gaston Early College High School
– Location: Gaston County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 238 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#5. Wake Early College of Health & Sciences
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 338 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#4. Green Level High School
– Location: Wake County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 1,936 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#3. Raleigh Charter High School
– Location: Raleigh, NC
– Enrollment: 559 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#2. The Early College at Guilford
– Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
– Enrollment: 197 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
– Location: Durham, NC
– Enrollment: 976 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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By Stacker
