7.0 avg / 10

Best Schools in Durham, North Carolina

94 schools · 53 Elementary · 10 Middle · 14 High · 17 Other

Last updated: May 2026

Public: 68

Private: 26

Districts: 16

Avg Rating: 7.0/10

Estimated Scores: 22%

Family Snapshot

At a glance

Avg school rating: 7.0/10
Median household income: $78,274
Median home value: $363,286
Bachelor's degree or higher: 52%
Avg commute: 23 min
Owner-occupied homes: 56%

How Durham compares

North Carolina rank

#41 of 253

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

+0.6

above North Carolina avg (6.4)

Median household income

$78k

115% of North Carolina median

Schools in this city

87

About Schools in Durham, North Carolina

Durham's public school system spans 68 ranked schools, giving families a wide range of options across elementary, middle, and high school levels. The city's average school score sits at 7.0 out of 10, which holds up well in a competitive state. Nearly half the ranked schools — 33 out of 68, or 49% — score 7 or above, meaning strong options aren't limited to a handful of zip codes. That spread matters for families who can't or don't want to pursue magnet programs or cross-district transfers.

At the top of the rankings, Burton Elementary leads the city with a 9.5 out of 10, the highest score among all 68 ranked public schools. Oak Grove Elementary follows at 9.3, and Southwest Elementary scores 9.2. The elementary tier is where Durham's performance peaks — four of the five top-ranked schools citywide are elementary schools. Lakewood Montessori Middle earns the only top-five spot at the middle school level, scoring a 9.2 and offering a structured alternative pedagogy for families interested in Montessori education beyond the early grades. Easley Elementary rounds out the top five at 9.1.

The concentration of high performers at the elementary level is worth noting. Parents with younger children have the most high-scoring schools to choose from, while the middle and high school landscape requires closer research. With 49% of schools scoring 7 or better, Durham clears a reasonable baseline across grade levels, but the gap between the top-rated schools and the city average is significant — nearly 2.5 points separate Burton Elementary from the mean.

For parents actively comparing schools, the practical takeaway is this: Durham rewards research. The city's size — 68 ranked schools — means real variation in performance exists across neighborhoods. Families zoned to high-scoring elementaries are in a strong position, but the data supports looking carefully at feeder patterns into middle and high school. Start with the top performers, check attendance boundaries early, and use the 7.0 city average as a benchmark when evaluating any school that isn't on your initial shortlist.

Filter by Level: All Levels (94) Elementary (53) Middle (10) High (14)

Filter by Type: All Types (94) Public (68) Private (26)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (94) Academics (94) Growth (66) Diversity (68) Resources (68)

Filter by ZIP: 27707 (23) 27703 (15) 27704 (15) 27705 (15) 27701 (10) 27713 (10) 27712 (5)

Elementary Schools

53 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Burton Elementary 294 students · Pre-K–5th	294	Pre-K–5th	9.5
2	Oak Grove Elementary 448 students · Pre-K–5th	448	Pre-K–5th	9.3
3	Southwest Elementary 669 students · Pre-K–5th	669	Pre-K–5th	9.2
4	Easley Elementary 478 students · Kindergarten–5th	478	Kindergarten–5th	9.1
5	Glenn Elementary 570 students · Kindergarten–5th	570	Kindergarten–5th	8.9
6	Merrick-Moore Elementary 535 students · Kindergarten–5th	535	Kindergarten–5th	8.8
7	Morehead Montessori 226 students · Pre-K–5th	226	Pre-K–5th	8.8
8	Spring Valley Elementary 544 students · Pre-K–5th	544	Pre-K–5th	8.7
9	Lyons Farm Elementary 523 students · Pre-K–5th	523	Pre-K–5th	8.6
10	Reaching All Minds Academy 384 students · Kindergarten–8th	384	Kindergarten–8th	8.4
11	Bethesda Elementary 577 students · Kindergarten–5th	577	Kindergarten–5th	8.3
12	W G Pearson Elementary 348 students · Pre-K–5th	348	Pre-K–5th	8.3
13	Club Boulevard Elementary 380 students · Kindergarten–5th	380	Kindergarten–5th	8.2
14	Fayetteville Street Elementary 239 students · Pre-K–5th	239	Pre-K–5th	8.2
15	Eastway Elementary 393 students · Pre-K–5th	393	Pre-K–5th	8.1
16	C C Spaulding Elementary 223 students · Pre-K–5th	223	Pre-K–5th	8.0
17	Eno Valley Elementary 533 students · Pre-K–5th	533	Pre-K–5th	7.9
18	Holt Elementary 618 students · Pre-K–5th	618	Pre-K–5th	7.9
19	Sandy Ridge Elementary 477 students · Pre-K–5th	477	Pre-K–5th	7.9
20	Maureen Joy Charter School 634 students · Kindergarten–8th	634	Kindergarten–8th	7.7
21	George Watts Elementary 309 students · Pre-K–5th	309	Pre-K–5th	7.7
22	Global Scholars Academy 202 students · Kindergarten–8th	202	Kindergarten–8th	7.5
23	Lakewood Elementary 401 students · Pre-K–5th	401	Pre-K–5th	7.4
24	The Institute Development Young Leaders 412 students · Kindergarten–8th	412	Kindergarten–8th	7.0
25	Little River K-8 School 308 students · Pre-K–8th	308	Pre-K–8th	6.9

Show 28 more elementary schools

26	E K Powe Elementary 409 students · Pre-K–5th	409	Pre-K–5th	6.9
27	Kestrel Heights School 440 students · Kindergarten–8th	440	Kindergarten–8th	6.8
28	Pearsontown Elementary 740 students · Pre-K–5th	740	Pre-K–5th	6.8
29	Community School of Digital & Visual Art 181 students · Kindergarten–8th	181	Kindergarten–8th	6.7
30	Central Park School For Children 609 students · Kindergarten–8th	609	Kindergarten–8th	6.7
31	R N Harris Elementary 301 students · Pre-K–5th	301	Pre-K–5th	6.7
32	Forest View Elementary 650 students · Pre-K–5th	650	Pre-K–5th	6.6
33	Parkwood Elementary 576 students · Pre-K–5th	576	Pre-K–5th	6.3
34	Hope Valley Elementary 626 students · Kindergarten–5th	626	Kindergarten–5th	6.3
35	KIPP Durham College Preparatory 365 students · Kindergarten–8th	365	Kindergarten–8th	6.2
36	Hillandale Elementary 529 students · Pre-K–5th	529	Pre-K–5th	6.0
37	Y E Smith Elementary 265 students · Pre-K–5th	265	Pre-K–5th	5.2
38	Research Triangle Charter 727 students · Kindergarten–8th	727	Kindergarten–8th	4.5
39	Creekside Elementary 551 students · Pre-K–5th	551	Pre-K–5th	4.4
Private Schools 14 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	DUKE SCHOOL Private 439 students · Pre-K–8th	439	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
2	INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL Private 77 students · Pre-K–6th	77	Pre-K–6th	Not Rated
3	IMMACULATA CATHOLIC SCHOOL Private 496 students · Pre-K–8th	496	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
4	TRIANGLE DAY SCHOOL Private 273 students · Pre-K–8th	273	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
5	MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF DURHAM Private 80 students · Pre-K–6th	80	Pre-K–6th	Not Rated
6	THE STUDIO SCHOOL OF DURHAM Private 34 students · Kindergarten–6th	34	Kindergarten–6th	Not Rated
7	LERNER JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL Private 86 students · Pre-K–5th	86	Pre-K–5th	Not Rated
8	SOUTHPOINT ACADEMY Private 50 students · Kindergarten–5th	50	Kindergarten–5th	Not Rated
9	QUALITY EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF DURHAM Private 28 students · Pre-K–5th	28	Pre-K–5th	Not Rated
10	FIVE OAKS SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Private 16 students · Kindergarten–7th	16	Kindergarten–7th	Not Rated
11	MONTESSORI FARM SCHOOL Private 7 students · Pre-K–T1	7	Pre-K–T1	Not Rated
12	TUTORIAL -1/2 CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS Private 13 students · Pre-K–3rd	13	Pre-K–3rd	Not Rated
13	EMPOWERED MINDS ACADEMY Private 17 students · Kindergarten–5th	17	Kindergarten–5th	Not Rated
14	GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE ACADEMY Private 2 students · Kindergarten–2nd	2	Kindergarten–2nd	Not Rated

Middle Schools

10 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Lakewood Montessori Middle 303 students · 6th–8th	303	6th–8th	9.2
2	Rogers-Herr Middle 631 students · 6th–8th	631	6th–8th	8.9
3	James E Shepard Middle 400 students · 6th–8th	400	6th–8th	8.8
4	Sherwood Githens Middle 811 students · 6th–8th	811	6th–8th	7.2
5	George L Carrington Middle 738 students · 6th–8th	738	6th–8th	6.8
6	Lucas Middle 413 students · 6th–8th	413	6th–8th	6.6
7	Neal Middle 770 students · 6th–8th	770	6th–8th	6.5
8	Brogden Middle 693 students · 6th–8th	693	6th–8th	6.1
9	Discovery Charter 412 students · 6th–10th	412	6th–10th	5.5
10	Lowe's Grove Middle 624 students · 6th–8th	624	6th–8th	4.1

High Schools

14 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	City of Medicine Academy 336 students · 9th–12th	336	9th–12th	9.0
2	Durham School of Technology 239 students · 9th–12th	239	9th–12th	8.9
3	Durham School of the Arts 1,767 students · 6th–12th	1,767	6th–12th	7.9
4	Middle College HS @ DTCC 134 students · 11th–12th	134	11th–12th	7.7
5	C E Jordan High 2,068 students · 9th–12th	2,068	9th–12th	6.2
6	Hillside High 1,454 students · 9th–12th	1,454	9th–12th	6.1
7	Durham's Performance Learning Center 122 students · 9th–12th	122	9th–12th	6.0
8	The School for Creative Studies 438 students · 6th–12th	438	6th–12th	5.9
9	Lakeview School 70 students · 6th–12th	70	6th–12th	5.8
10	Northern High 1,334 students · 9th–12th	1,334	9th–12th	4.8
11	J D Clement Early College HS 386 students · 9th–12th	386	9th–12th	4.5
12	Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi 1,352 students · 9th–12th	1,352	9th–12th	4.4
13	Riverside High 1,851 students · 9th–12th	1,851	9th–12th	4.2
Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	INSIGHT COLEARNING CENTER Private 14 students · 9th–12th	14	9th–12th	Not Rated

Other Schools

17 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Durham Charter School 777 students · Kindergarten–10th	777	Kindergarten–10th	8.6
2	Voyager Academy 1,363 students · Kindergarten–12th	1,363	Kindergarten–12th	6.2
3	Ignite Online Academy 369 students · Kindergarten–12th	369	Kindergarten–12th	4.7
4	Excelsior Classical Academy 1,029 students · Kindergarten–12th	1,029	Kindergarten–12th	4.0
5	North Carolina Cyber Academy 2,523 students · Kindergarten–12th	2,523	Kindergarten–12th	3.9
6	NC Virtual Academy 2,959 students · Kindergarten–12th	2,959	Kindergarten–12th	3.3
Private Schools 11 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	CRESSET CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Private 146 students · Pre-K–12th	146	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
2	CAROLINA FRIENDS SCHOOL Private 473 students · Pre-K–12th	473	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
3	HILL LEARNING CENTER Private 167 students · 2nd–12th	167	2nd–12th	Not Rated
4	DURHAM ACADEMY Private 1,196 students · Pre-K–12th	1,196	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
5	LIBERTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Private 295 students · Kindergarten–12th	295	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
6	TRINITY SCHOOL OF DURHAM & CHAPEL HILL Private 558 students · Kindergarten–12th	558	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
7	HOPE CREEK ACADEMY Private 51 students · Kindergarten–12th	51	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
8	FAITH ASSEMBLY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Private 42 students · Kindergarten–12th	42	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
9	HOPE CREEK ACADEMY Private 51 students · Kindergarten–12th	51	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
10	DURHAM ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL DIV Private 1,195 students · Pre-K–12th	1,195	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
11	BETHESDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Private 183 students · Kindergarten–9th	183	Kindergarten–9th	Not Rated

Schools in Durham

Durham, North Carolina · 94 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 7 ZIP codes

Median Income

$78,274

Median Home Value

$363,286

Median Rent

$1,416/mo

Population

310,448

College Educated

52%

Homeownership

56%

Avg Commute

23 min

Poverty Rate

12.9%

Community Profile

Durham has a median household income of $78,274. It is a well-educated community where 52% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $363,286, with a median rent of $1,416/month. The area has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The average commute for residents is 23 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Quick Facts

State: North Carolina
Total Schools: 94
Elementary: 53
Middle: 10
High: 14
Districts: 16
Avg Rating: 7.0/10

Resources

🔍 Google "Durham schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Durham 📊 Niche Durham Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School Districts (16)

Maureen Joy Charter

1 school · 634 students

Durham Charter School

1 school · 777 students

Community School of Digital and Visual A

1 school · 181 students

Kestrel Heights School

1 school · 440 students

Research Triangle Charter

1 school · 727 students

Central Park School For Children

1 school · 609 students

Voyager Academy

1 school · 1,363 students

Global Scholars Academy

1 school · 202 students

The Institute for the Development of You

1 school · 412 students

Reaching All Minds Academy

1 school · 384 students

Excelsior Classical Academy

1 school · 1,029 students

KIPP Durham College Preparatory

1 school · 365 students

North Carolina Cyber Academy

1 school · 2,523 students

NC Virtual Academy

1 school · 2,959 students

Discovery Charter School

1 school · 412 students

Durham Public Schools

56 schools · 31,339 students

Nearby Cities

Research Triangle Pk (1 school)

7 mi

Morrisville (9 schools)

11 mi

Chapel Hill (26 schools)

Hillsborough (13 schools)

Creedmoor (5 schools)

Timberlake (1 school)

21 mi

Stem (1 school)

20 mi

Raleigh (137 schools)

19 mi

Pittsboro (8 schools)

21 mi

Other Major Cities in North Carolina

Top metros statewide by school count.

Charlotte 225 schools Greensboro 95 schools Fayetteville 85 schools Winston-salem 77 schools Wilmington 61 schools

How We Rate Schools

Every school receives a composite score from 1 to 10 based on four pillars: Academic Performance (50%), Student Growth (20%), Equity (15%), and Learning Environment (15%). Scores are built from publicly available data including standardized test results, enrollment figures, and school climate indicators.

Read our full methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Durham, North Carolina

How many schools are in Durham, North Carolina?

Durham has 94 schools, including 68 public and 26 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Durham, North Carolina?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Durham is 7.0 out of 10, based on academic achievement, student growth, equity, and school environment.

What is the top-ranked school in Durham, North Carolina?

The top-ranked school in Durham on MySchoolScout is Burton Elementary with a composite score of 9.5/10.

What is the best elementary school in Durham, North Carolina?

The top-ranked elementary school in Durham on MySchoolScout is Burton Elementary with a composite score of 9.5/10.

What is the best middle school in Durham, North Carolina?

The top-ranked middle school in Durham on MySchoolScout is Lakewood Montessori Middle with a composite score of 9.2/10.

What is the best high school in Durham, North Carolina?

The top-ranked high school in Durham on MySchoolScout is City of Medicine Academy with a composite score of 9.0/10.

How many school districts serve Durham, North Carolina?

Durham is served by 16 school districts: Maureen Joy Charter, Durham Charter School, Community School of Digital and Visual a, Kestrel Heights School, Research Triangle Charter, Central Park School for Children, Voyager Academy, Global Scholars Academy, The Institute for the Development of You, Reaching All Minds Academy, Excelsior Classical Academy, Kipp Durham College Preparatory, North Carolina Cyber Academy, Nc Virtual Academy, Discovery Charter School, Durham Public Schools.

What is the education level in Durham, North Carolina?

According to Census data, 52% of adults in Durham have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Durham, North Carolina?

The median household income in Durham is approximately $78,274 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Durham, North Carolina?

Yes, Durham has 26 private schools alongside 68 public schools. The top-rated private school is Cresset Christian Academy with a score of 8.4/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Durham, North Carolina?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Durham is 12.0:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Durham, North Carolina?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score based on four components: Academic Achievement, Student Growth, Equity, and School Environment.