The top-rated high schools in Raleigh for 2026 are Raleigh Charter High School (8.8/10), Vernon Malone College and Career Academy (8.8/10), and Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy (8.0/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of 16 high schools with real test data included in this ranking. Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy leads Raleigh's high school landscape with a composite score of 8.6 out of 10 — the strongest mark among 16 ranked schools in the metro. Vernon Malone College and Career Academy (8.1) and Raleigh Charter High School (7.1) round out the upper tier, with four schools total clearing the 7-point threshold. That's 25% of the ranked field hitting what most families consider strong performance territory. The average composite score across all 16 schools sits at 5.9 out of 10, which signals meaningful spread between the top performers and the middle of the pack. Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy (7.0) and Phillips High (5.8) illustrate that range well. The table below lets you sort by score, school type, and other key metrics — use it to find the schools that best match your student's priorities and your family's location.
Ranked by composite score; the tick is the score on the 1–10 axis.
Scores are based on 2024-25 data from the NCES Common Core of Data and North Carolina education department. Rankings are relative to all public high schools in North Carolina. Learn about our methodology.
Raleigh Charter High School
560 students · 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 2% in North Carolina · charter
Wake County Schools
359 students · 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–UG
Top 2% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
358 students · 17.0:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–UG
Top 12% in North Carolina
Longleaf School of the Arts
426 students · 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 12% in North Carolina · charter
Wake County Schools
2,062 students · 17.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 23% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
328 students · 21.9:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–UG
Top 24% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
2,455 students · 18.1:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 31% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
279 students · 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–UG
Top 31% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
2,538 students · 17.0:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 36% in North Carolina
Wake County Schools
2,105 students · 19.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th
Top 53% in North Carolina
According to MySchoolScout's 2026 rankings, Raleigh Charter High School is the top-rated high school in Raleigh with a composite score of 8.8/10. The score blends student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — with equity shown as context, not scored.
Raleigh has 25 high schools, including 3 charter schools. Of these, 23 have enough data for a full composite rating on MySchoolScout.
Among 23 Raleigh high schools with a composite score, the average is 6.3/10. Scores range from 1.0 (bottom of the state) to 10.0 (top 1% in North Carolina).
Schools with enough data receive a 1-10 composite score that blends Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, with growth counting most in elementary and middle grades. Equity data is shown for context but not scored. All scores are computed within North Carolina, so schools are compared to peers in the same state. Data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments.
A score of 7 or above means a school is in roughly the top 30% of its state. A 5 is average. Anything above 8 is exceptional. Our ratings are relative to other schools in North Carolina, not a national comparison, because each state has different testing standards.
Raleigh has 3 charter high schools in its directory. Charter schools that meet this ranking's data requirements are included alongside traditional public schools using the same composite scoring methodology.
Consider your child's learning style. Some children thrive in smaller settings (look for student-teacher ratios under 14:1), while others do well in larger, more social environments. The schools on this list range widely in size and approach.
Look beyond the composite score. A school ranked #15 might be the best fit if it excels in growth (improving student outcomes year over year) even if its raw academic score is lower. Click into individual school profiles to see the breakdown.
Visit your top choices. Walk the hallways during a school day. Watch how teachers interact with students. Ask about before- and after-school care, transportation, and parent involvement. These details matter more than any dataset.
Guide
Raleigh-Durham's school landscape spans 5 counties with wildly different approaches to school choice. Here's what parents relocating to the Triangle need to know about school assignment, magnet options, and top districts.