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Best public schools in Durham, NC

71 public schools in Durham: 31 elementary · 9 middle · 12 high · 9 K-8 · 10 combined. Ranked by our score, based on 2025-26 state test results.

Rankings renumber to share equal ranks and fill gaps when schools are hidden. Scores compare each school with schools of the same type across North Carolina.

Elementary schools

31 schools in Durham, best first
1
Morehead Montessori 81.2
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 226 students
ELA 73%Math 69%Science 81%
#236 of 1,256 in North Carolina
2
Easley Elementary 80.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 478 students
ELA 70%Math 68%Science 90%
#242 of 1,256 in North Carolina
3
Southwest Elementary 78.9
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 669 students
ELA 63%Math 72%Science 84%
#265 of 1,256 in North Carolina
4
Burton Elementary 78.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 294 students
ELA 70%Math 68%Science 80%
#269 of 1,256 in North Carolina
5
Lyons Farm Elementary 78.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 523 students
ELA 71%Math 72%Science 70%
#270 of 1,256 in North Carolina
6
Pearsontown Elementary 74.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 740 students
ELA 72%Math 67%Science 73%
#322 of 1,256 in North Carolina
7
George Watts Elementary 71.1
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 309 students
ELA 66%Math 67%Science 75%
#363 of 1,256 in North Carolina
8
Glenn Elementary 63.9
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 570 students
ELA 51%Math 76%Science 72%
#454 of 1,256 in North Carolina
9
Oak Grove Elementary 63.3
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 448 students
ELA 57%Math 65%Science 77%
#461 of 1,256 in North Carolina
10
Little River Elementary 49.2
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 308 students
ELA 57%Math 56%Science 68%
#638 of 1,256 in North Carolina
11
Spring Valley Elementary 48.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 544 students
ELA 55%Math 60%Science 60%
#648 of 1,256 in North Carolina
12
Sandy Ridge Elementary 47.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 477 students
ELA 52%Math 57%Science 72%
#660 of 1,256 in North Carolina
13
Merrick-Moore Elementary 41.0
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 535 students
ELA 42%Math 62%Science 72%
#741 of 1,256 in North Carolina
14
E K Powe Elementary 39.9
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 409 students
ELA 52%Math 56%Science 58%
#755 of 1,256 in North Carolina
15
R N Harris Elementary 37.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 301 students
ELA 40%Math 56%Science 78%
#785 of 1,256 in North Carolina
16
Forest View Elementary 37.2
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 650 students
ELA 49%Math 55%Science 61%
#789 of 1,256 in North Carolina
17
Eno Valley Elementary 31.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 533 students
ELA 49%Math 53%Science 53%
#858 of 1,256 in North Carolina
18
C C Spaulding Elementary 30.2
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 223 students
ELA 33%Math 59%Science 69%
#877 of 1,256 in North Carolina
19
Club Boulevard Elementary 29.3
Durham Public Schools · Grades K-5 · 380 students
ELA 51%Math 50%Science 53%
#888 of 1,256 in North Carolina
20
Lakewood Elementary 28.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 401 students
ELA 46%Math 54%Science 50%
#898 of 1,256 in North Carolina
21
W G Pearson Elementary 28.1
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 348 students
ELA 51%Math 50%Science 46%
#903 of 1,256 in North Carolina
22
Murray-Massenburg Elementary 25.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5
ELA 44%Math 48%Science 64%
#934 of 1,256 in North Carolina
23
Hope Valley Elementary 22.3
Durham Public Schools · Grades K-5 · 626 students
ELA 48%Math 49%Science 42%
#976 of 1,256 in North Carolina
24
Bethesda Elementary 21.1
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 577 students
ELA 47%Math 45%Science 51%
#991 of 1,256 in North Carolina
25
Eastway Elementary 18.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 393 students
ELA 27%Math 61%Science 36%
#1,025 of 1,256 in North Carolina
26
Fayetteville Street Elementary 17.3
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 239 students
ELA 39%Math 46%Science 62%
#1,039 of 1,256 in North Carolina
27
Creekside Elementary 15.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 551 students
ELA 42%Math 43%Science 54%
#1,060 of 1,256 in North Carolina
28
Holt Elementary 11.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 618 students
ELA 41%Math 42%Science 51%
#1,109 of 1,256 in North Carolina
29
Hillandale Elementary 9.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 529 students
ELA 35%Math 42%Science 54%
#1,133 of 1,256 in North Carolina
30
Parkwood Elementary 7.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 576 students
ELA 35%Math 29%Science 55%
#1,162 of 1,256 in North Carolina
31
Y E Smith Elementary 1.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-5 · 265 students
ELA 24%Math 38%Science 15%
#1,234 of 1,256 in North Carolina

Middle schools

9 schools in Durham, best first
1
Lakewood Montessori Middle 91.2
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 303 students
ELA 69%Math 73%Science 88%
#41 of 460 in North Carolina
2
Rogers-Herr Middle 86.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 631 students
ELA 70%Math 67%Science 84%
#61 of 460 in North Carolina
3
James E Shepard Middle 43.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 400 students
ELA 46%Math 52%Science 69%
#259 of 460 in North Carolina
4
Sherwood Githens Middle 42.9
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 811 students
ELA 52%Math 52%Science 54%
#263 of 460 in North Carolina
5
Brogden Middle 24.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 693 students
ELA 38%Math 48%Science 53%
#347 of 460 in North Carolina
6
Lucas Middle 23.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 413 students
ELA 43%Math 38%Science 60%
#352 of 460 in North Carolina
7
George L Carrington Middle 19.0
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 738 students
ELA 43%Math 39%Science 47%
#373 of 460 in North Carolina
8
Neal Middle 11.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 770 students
ELA 33%Math 36%Science 53%
#407 of 460 in North Carolina
9
Lowe's Grove Middle 9.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-8 · 624 students
ELA 35%Math 35%Science 42%
#417 of 460 in North Carolina

High schools

12 schools in Durham, best first
1
City of Medicine Academy 92.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-13 · 336 students
ELA 94%Math 94%Science 98%
#38 of 512 in North Carolina
2
J D Clement Early College HS 85.3
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-13 · 386 students
ELA 92%Math 91%Science 92%
#76 of 512 in North Carolina
3
Durham School of Technology 72.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-13 · 239 students
ELA 81%Math 69%Science 78%
#142 of 512 in North Carolina
4
Research Triangle High School 71.2
Research Triangle High School · Grades 9-12 · Charter · 564 students
ELA 87%Math 67%Science 70%
#148 of 512 in North Carolina
5
Middle College HS @ DTCC 69.0
Durham Public Schools · Grades 11-13 · 134 students
ELA 70%Math 61%Science 82%
#159 of 512 in North Carolina
6
C E Jordan High 44.0
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 2,068 students
ELA 62%Math 57%Science 54%
#287 of 512 in North Carolina
7
Riverside High 24.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 1,851 students
ELA 55%Math 41%Science 51%
#386 of 512 in North Carolina
8
Hillside High 14.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 1,454 students
ELA 46%Math 37%Science 43%
#439 of 512 in North Carolina
9
Northern High 7.7
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 1,334 students
ELA 39%Math 35%Science 24%
#473 of 512 in North Carolina
10
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi 5.6
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 1,352 students
ELA 39%Math 26%Science 21%
#484 of 512 in North Carolina
11
Durham's Performance Learning Center 4.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 122 students
ELA 27%Math 43%Science 25%
#488 of 512 in North Carolina
–
Holton Career and Resource Center —
Durham Public Schools · Grades 9-12 · 0 students
No published test results

K-8 schools

9 schools in Durham, best first
1
Maureen Joy Charter School 56.6
Maureen Joy Charter · Grades K-8 · Charter · 634 students
ELA 52%Math 65%Science 64%
#76 of 174 in North Carolina
2
Central Park School For Children 49.1
Central Park School For Children · Grades K-8 · Charter · 609 students
ELA 60%Math 50%Science 66%
#89 of 174 in North Carolina
3
Reaching All Minds Academy 38.2
Reaching All Minds Academy · Grades K-8 · Charter · 384 students
ELA 46%Math 56%Science 58%
#108 of 174 in North Carolina
4
Kestrel Heights School 34.8
Kestrel Heights School · Grades K-8 · Charter · 440 students
ELA 49%Math 46%Science 61%
#114 of 174 in North Carolina
5
The Institute Development Young Leaders 32.5
The Institute for the Development of You · Grades K-8 · Charter · 412 students
ELA 41%Math 48%Science 70%
#118 of 174 in North Carolina
6
Research Triangle Charter 30.7
Research Triangle Charter · Grades K-8 · Charter · 727 students
ELA 49%Math 42%Science 58%
#121 of 174 in North Carolina
7
Global Scholars Academy 24.4
Global Scholars Academy · Grades K-8 · Charter · 202 students
ELA 27%Math 54%Science 57%
#132 of 174 in North Carolina
8
KIPP Durham College Preparatory 19.3
KIPP Durham College Preparatory · Grades K-8 · Charter · 365 students
ELA 28%Math 50%Science 58%
#141 of 174 in North Carolina
9
Community School of Digital & Visual Art 4.3
Community School of Digital and Visual A · Grades K-8 · Charter · 181 students
ELA 27%Math 33%Science 40%
#167 of 174 in North Carolina

Combined schools

10 schools in Durham, best first
1
Durham School of the Arts 87.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-12 · 1,767 students
ELA 79%Math 75%Science 81%
#25 of 194 in North Carolina
2
Voyager Academy 83.8
Voyager Academy · Grades K-12 · Charter · 1,363 students
ELA 72%Math 74%Science 79%
#32 of 194 in North Carolina
3
Excelsior Classical Academy 79.6
Excelsior Classical Academy · Grades K-12 · Charter · 1,029 students
ELA 72%Math 69%Science 74%
#40 of 194 in North Carolina
4
Durham Charter School 75.0
Durham Charter School · Grades K-11 · Charter · 777 students
ELA 62%Math 74%Science 76%
#49 of 194 in North Carolina
5
The School for Creative Studies 57.5
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-12 · 438 students
ELA 60%Math 61%Science 56%
#83 of 194 in North Carolina
6
North Carolina Cyber Academy 46.1
North Carolina Cyber Academy · Grades K-12 · Charter · 2,523 students
ELA 55%Math 41%Science 57%
#105 of 194 in North Carolina
7
NC Virtual Academy 43.0
NC Virtual Academy · Grades K-12 · Charter · 2,959 students
ELA 53%Math 39%Science 45%
#111 of 194 in North Carolina
8
Ignite Online Academy 33.8
Durham Public Schools · Grades K-12 · 369 students
ELA 45%Math 28%Science 37%
#129 of 194 in North Carolina
9
Lakeview School 5.4
Durham Public Schools · Grades 6-12 · 70 students
ELA 10%Math 3%Science 8%
#184 of 194 in North Carolina
–
DPS Hospital School —
Durham Public Schools · Grades PK-12 · 0 students
No published test results

School districts serving Durham

Nearby cities and towns