Best Schools in Wake County, NC
Wake County, NC has 302 public schools (42 high, 45 middle, 178 elementary) serving 208,981 students. On average they score 63% on state proficiency tests against a projected 53%, so schools in Wake County meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Wake County, NC
The top high schools in Wake County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Wake Stem Early College High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 13 • 263 Students
2. Wake Early College Of Health And Science
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 13 • 336 Students
3. Raleigh Charter High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Raleigh Charter High School • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 564 Students
4. Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 13 • 269 Students
5. Crossroads Flex
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 148 Students
6. Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 13 • 350 Students
7. Green Level High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2052 Students
8. Green Hope High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2001 Students
9. North Wake College And Career Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 13 • 353 Students
10. Panther Creek High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2435 Students
Best Middle Schools in Wake County, NC
The top middle schools in Wake County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Mills Park Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1630 Students
2. Magellan Charter
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Magellan Charter • Charter • Grades 3 - 8 • 406 Students
3. Apex Friendship Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1397 Students
4. Davis Drive Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 959 Students
5. Alston Ridge Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1459 Students
6. Salem Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1071 Students
7. Heritage Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 997 Students
8. Holly Grove Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 935 Students
9. West Cary Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 860 Students
10. Apex Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 905 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Wake County, NC
The top elementary schools in Wake County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. White Oak Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 778 Students
2. Quest Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Quest Academy • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 142 Students
3. The Math And Science Academy Of Apex
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
The Math And Science Academy Of Apex • Charter • Grades KG - 7 • 613 Students
4. Mills Park Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 702 Students
5. Hortons Creek Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 720 Students
6. Davis Drive Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 825 Students
7. Apex Friendship Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 782 Students
8. Barton Pond Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 404 Students
9. Highcroft Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wake County Schools • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 721 Students
10. Envision Science Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Envision Science Academy • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 741 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Wake County, NC
County-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Wake County, NC has a total population of 1,129,410 with 27% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 94%, and 57% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Wake 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 Wake County, NC.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
21.49 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
2.97 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
18.52 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Wake County, NC.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Wake 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 Wake County, NC Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Wake County, NC
How many schools are in Wake County, NC?
Wake County, NC has 302 public schools: 42 high schools, 45 middle schools and 178 elementary schools, serving 208,981 students in total.
How do schools in Wake County perform on state tests?
On average, 302 schools in Wake County score 63% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 53%, so on average schools in Wake County meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Wake 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 Wake County, NC
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 53%
- Projected: 40%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 54%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 56%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 50%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Cities, towns and school districts in Wake County
12 places in Wake County with graded public schools. Each link opens that place's ranked schools.
Cities and towns (12)
- Raleigh (94)
- Cary (33)
- Apex (19)
- Wake Forest (14)
- Garner (11)
- Holly Springs (9)
- Fuquay Varina (8)
- Knightdale (5)
- Morrisville (5)
- Rolesville (5)
- Wendell (5)
- Zebulon (4)
School districts (2)
- Wake County Schools (193 schools)
- Deaf and Blind Schools (3 schools)