Best High Schools in North Carolina

The top 50 high schools (grades 9-12) in North Carolina, ranked by enrollment from NCES data with EDFacts proficiency rates where available. Average proficiency across this list is 57%.

#	School	City	Enrollment	Proficiency
1	Myers Park High School	Charlotte, NC	3,593	62%
2	Ardrey Kell High School	Charlotte, NC	3,529	58%
3	South Mecklenburg High School	Charlotte, NC	3,344	64%
4	NC Virtual Academy	Durham, NC	3,047	57%
5	Apex Friendship High	Apex, NC	2,772	69%
6	Leesville Road High	Raleigh, NC	2,613	59%
7	William Amos Hough High	Cornelius, NC	2,518	66%
8	Enloe High	Raleigh, NC	2,502	53%
9	Apex High	Apex, NC	2,500	69%
10	Panther Creek High	Cary, NC	2,435	59%
11	Millbrook High	Raleigh, NC	2,421	55%
12	East Mecklenburg High School	Charlotte, NC	2,409	53%
13	Rolesville High	Rolesville, NC	2,373	52%
14	North Carolina Cyber Academy	Durham, NC	2,372	53%
15	West Forsyth High	Clemmons, NC	2,348	58%
16	Lincoln Charter School	Denver, NC	2,263	54%
17	John T Hoggard High	Wilmington, NC	2,226	54%
18	Julius L. Chambers High School	Charlotte, NC	2,224	32%
19	Pinecrest High	Southern Pines, NC	2,221	48%
20	Emsley A Laney High	Wilmington, NC	2,220	54%
21	Corinth Holders High	Wendell, NC	2,219	61%
22	Lake Norman Charter	Huntersville, NC	2,215	47%
23	North Mecklenburg High School	Huntersville, NC	2,186	50%
24	Mallard Creek High School	Charlotte, NC	2,185	53%
25	Ronald W Reagan High School	Pfafftown, NC	2,146	65%
26	Cary High	Cary, NC	2,145	63%
27	Holly Springs High	Holly Springs, NC	2,140	61%
28	Union Academy	Monroe, NC	2,129	45%
29	Needham Broughton High	Raleigh, NC	2,128	64%
30	Wake Forest High School	Wake Forest, NC	2,101	56%
31	Marvin Ridge High	Waxhaw, NC	2,074	68%
32	Wakefield High	Raleigh, NC	2,072	63%
33	Athens Drive High	Raleigh, NC	2,062	59%
34	Hoke County High	Raeford, NC	2,060	35%
35	Green Level High	Cary, NC	2,052	76%
36	Providence High School	Charlotte, NC	2,048	64%
37	C E Jordan High	Durham, NC	2,040	44%
38	Clayton High	Clayton, NC	2,024	49%
39	Independence High School	Charlotte, NC	2,022	55%
40	Green Hope High	Cary, NC	2,001	74%
41	Northwest Guilford High	Greensboro, NC	1,991	68%
42	Lake Norman High	Mooresville, NC	1,986	65%
43	Eugene Ashley High	Wilmington, NC	1,975	59%
44	Overhills High	Spring Lake, NC	1,971	48%
45	Mooresville High School	Mooresville, NC	1,969	60%
46	Wake Preparatory Academy	Wake Forest, NC	1,961	53%
47	Fuquay-Varina High	Fuquay-Varina, NC	1,940	62%
48	Cuthbertson High	Waxhaw, NC	1,938	58%
49	Lumberton Senior High	Lumberton, NC	1,935	22%
50	Uwharrie Charter Academy	Asheboro, NC	1,910	53%

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best high school in North Carolina?

The largest high school in North Carolina is Myers Park High School in Charlotte with 3,593 students and a 62% proficiency rate. Rankings are based on NCES Common Core of Data enrollment and EDFacts proficiency results.

How many high schools are in North Carolina?

This page shows the top 50 high schools (grades 9-12) in North Carolina by enrollment. Browse the full state directory to see all schools.

What does the proficiency rate measure?

Proficiency rate is the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards on combined math and reading assessments, as reported by EDFacts. Data is district-level and applied to each school in the district.

Where does this data come from?

Enrollment and school characteristics come from the NCES Common Core of Data. Proficiency rates come from EDFacts assessment results. Both are official federal datasets published by the U.S. Department of Education.

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts

Last updated: April 2026

Schools are ranked by enrollment within the state. Proficiency rates come from EDFacts assessment results, district-level figures applied to each school in the district.