Best Schools in Orange County, NC
Orange County, NC has 49 public schools (10 high, 10 middle, 26 elementary) serving 28,434 students. On average they score 64% on state proficiency tests against a projected 54%, so schools in Orange County meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Orange County, NC
The top high schools in Orange County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. East Chapel Hill High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1447 Students
2. Chapel Hill High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1597 Students
3. Northwood High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chatham County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 940 Students
4. Cedar Ridge High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1104 Students
5. Carrboro High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 870 Students
6. Orange High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1341 Students
7. C E Jordan High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Durham Public Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2040 Students
8. Phoenix Academy High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 8 - 12 • 25 Students
9. Partnership Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 37 Students
10. Virtual Academy School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 39 Students
Best Middle Schools in Orange County, NC
The top middle schools in Orange County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Smith Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 768 Students
2. Phillips Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 609 Students
3. Mcdougle Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 752 Students
4. Margaret B. Pollard Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chatham County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 768 Students
5. Hawfields Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alamance-burlington Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 706 Students
6. Culbreth Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 656 Students
7. Orange Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 525 Students
8. A L Stanback Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 646 Students
9. Gravelly Hill Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 425 Students
10. Sherwood Githens Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Durham Public Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 763 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Orange County, NC
The top elementary schools in Orange County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. The Expedition School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
The Expedition School • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 361 Students
2. Morris Grove Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 421 Students
3. Glenwood Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 433 Students
4. Hillsborough Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 425 Students
5. Seawell Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 491 Students
6. Estes Hills Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 340 Students
7. Perry W Harrison Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chatham County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 227 Students
8. Carrboro Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 501 Students
9. Pathways Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orange County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 351 Students
10. Ephesus Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 381 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Orange County, NC
County-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Orange County, NC has a total population of 148,696 with 35% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 93%, and 63% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Orange County, NC
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Orange County, NC.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
24.04 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.72 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
20.33 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Orange County, NC.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Orange County, NC.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Orange County, NC Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Orange County, NC
How many schools are in Orange County, NC?
Orange County, NC has 49 public schools: 10 high schools, 10 middle schools and 26 elementary schools, serving 28,434 students in total.
How do schools in Orange County perform on state tests?
On average, 49 schools in Orange County score 64% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 54%, so on average schools in Orange County meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Orange County?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Orange County, NC
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 53%
- Projected: 40%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 63%
- Projected: 53%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 59%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 41%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Cities, towns and school districts in Orange County
4 places in Orange County with graded public schools. Each link opens that place's ranked schools.
Cities and towns (4)
- Chapel Hill (18)
- Hillsborough (12)
- Carrboro (2)
- Efland (2)
School districts (2)
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (19 schools)
- Orange County Schools (13 schools)