Best Public Schools in North Carolina

Top 50 schools ranked by resource quality score. Based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs & attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

77/100
Top Score
Career Academy and Technical School
65/100
Avg Score (Top 50)
50
Schools Ranked
NC
State
# School Score Grade
1. Career Academy and Technical School Troutman 77 B+
2. Stanly County Virtual Education Norwood 76 B+
3. Chatham School of Science & Engineering Siler City 74 B
4. Craven Virtual Academy New Bern 73 B
5. Aggie Academy Greensboro 72 B
6. Career Readiness Academy at Mosley Plc Wilmington 70 B
7. Middle College Hs @ Dtcc Durham 69 B-
8. Movement School Southwest Charlotte 68 B-
9. Philip J Weaver Ed Center Greensboro 68 B-
10. Wake Young Men'S Leadership Academy Raleigh 67 B-
11. Cleveland Innovation Shelby 67 B-
12. Gc Middle College High Greensboro 67 B-
13. Global E-Learning Academy Elkin 67 B-
14. Mcdowell Academy for Innovation Marion 66 B-
15. Atlantic Elementary Atlantic 66 B-
16. Granville Academy Oxford 65 B-
17. Lawsonville Elementary School Lawsonville 65 B-
18. Woodfin Elementary Asheville 65 B-
19. Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences Dallas 64 C+
20. Barnardsville Elementary Barnardsville 64 C+
21. Elizabeth City Pasquotank Early College Elizabeth City 64 C+
22. Nantahala School Topton 64 C+
23. North Academy of World Languages Huntersville 63 C+
24. Alamance Virtual School Burlington 63 C+
25. Ellendale Elementary Taylorsville 63 C+
26. Carolina Community Academy Roxboro 63 C+
27. Citi High School Rocky Mount 63 C+
28. Mount Vernon Raleigh 63 C+
29. Lakeview School Durham 63 C+
30. West Mecklenburg High School Charlotte 62 C+
31. Forest Hill Elementary Morganton 62 C+
32. Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School Hickory 62 C+
33. Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy Elizabethtown 62 C+
34. Middle College at Gtcc-High Point High Point 62 C+
35. Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy Lexington 62 C+
36. Stokes Early College High School Walnut Cove 62 C+
37. Davidson County Schools Virtual Academy Thomasville 62 C+
38. Williams Secondary Montessori Charlotte 61 C+
39. Bugg Elementary Raleigh 61 C+
40. Walnut Cove Elementary School Walnut Cove 61 C+
41. The Innovation Academy at South Campus Smithfield 61 C+
42. Trillium Springs Montessori Huntersville 61 C+
43. Mcdowell Early College Marion 61 C+
44. Sea-Tech Castle Hayne 61 C+
45. Caldwell Applied Sciences Academy Hudson 61 C+
46. Mcadenville Elementary McAdenville 61 C+
47. Edgecombe Early College High Tarboro 61 C+
48. T S Cooper Elementary Sunbury 61 C+
49. Sunny View Elementary School Mill Spring 61 C+
50. The Special Children'S School Winston-Salem 61 C+

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best public schools in North Carolina? ▼

The top-rated school in North Carolina is Career Academy and Technical School in Troutman with a quality score of 77/100 (grade B+). Rankings are based on student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted programs, and attendance rates from NCES data.

How are school quality scores calculated? ▼

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data across 4 metrics: student-teacher ratio (lower is better, national avg ~16:1), counselor availability (ASCA recommends 250:1), gifted program availability, and chronic absenteeism rate (lower is better). This measures school resources, not test scores.

Explore More for North Carolina

All Schools → Largest Schools → Absenteeism Data → Highest Spending → National Ranking →

Methodology

Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Schools must have at least 50 students and data for one or more metrics. This measures resource quality, not test scores. Higher scores indicate smaller class sizes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.