Best Schools in Durham, North Carolina
104 schools · 55 Elementary · 11 Middle · 15 High · 23 Other
Choosing a school in Durham?
Use this page to compare every school in Durham by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
City of Medicine Academy
High · Durham Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Burton Elementary
Elementary · Durham Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Oak Grove Elementary
Elementary · Durham Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Durham for 2026 are City of Medicine Academy (9.5/10), Burton Elementary (9.0/10), and Oak Grove Elementary (8.9/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 68 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Schools
104
68 public · 36 private
Avg Score
6.6
out of 10
Median Home
$365,375
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Schools
104
68 public · 36 private
Avg Score
6.6
out of 10
Median Home
$365,375
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Rates 9.5/10 despite 63% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.0 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Durham schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +18.5 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Durham schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Durham
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 68 rated schools; 104 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of Medicine Academy | 9.5 / 10 |
| 2 | Burton Elementary | 9.0 / 10 |
| 3 | Oak Grove Elementary | 8.9 / 10 |
| 4 | Southwest Elementary | 8.6 / 10 |
| 5 | Durham School of Technology | 8.6 / 10 |
| 6 | Middle College HS @ Dtcc | 8.5 / 10 |
| 7 | Maureen Joy Charter School | 8.4 / 10 |
| 8 | Reaching All Minds Academy | 8.4 / 10 |
| 9 | Glenn Elementary | 8.3 / 10 |
| 10 | Durham School of the Arts | 8.2 / 10 |
See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 6.6/10
- Median household income
- $81,217
- Median home value
- $365,375
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 52%
- Avg commute
- 24 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 59%
48% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Durham compares
North Carolina rank
#76 of 255
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.3
above North Carolina avg (6.3)
Median household income
$81k
120% of North Carolina median
Schools in this city
96
Education Snapshot
Durham, North CarolinaDurham operates 94 schools across 16 districts, serving approximately 50,049 students. The level mix tilts toward elementary — 53 elementary schools against 14 high schools and 10 middle schools, with 17 other or combined campuses filling out the total. Across 87 rated schools, the city averages 6.7/10 on the MySchoolScout composite rating, a half-point above North Carolina's state average of 6.2/10. Fifteen charter schools give families an alternative to district-assigned placements and represent roughly 16% of all Durham schools. On the economic side, median household income is $79,064 — 9% above the state median of $72,819 — and 53% of adult residents hold at least a bachelor's degree. Durham clears the state benchmark on both composite rating and household income, a consistent above-average signal across the metrics that most families weigh when comparing cities.
Durham Public Schools runs 78% of Durham's public schools
Durham touches 16 districts, but Durham Public Schools is the one most addresses actually attend.
Durham Public Schools accounts for 53 of 68 public schools (78%). The other 15 districts hold the remaining 15.
Among 68 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.1 to 9.5 — the spread is inside Durham, not a citywide average.
15 of the 68 public schools are charters (22%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Durham Public Schools53 public · 78%
- Central Park School For Children1 public · 1%
- Community School of Digital and Visual A1 public · 1%
- Discovery Charter School1 public · 1%
- Durham Charter School1 public · 1%
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.
Elementary Schools
55 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 294 students · Pre-K–5th | 9.0 |
| 2 | 448 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.9 |
| 3 | 669 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.6 |
| 4 | 634 students · Kindergarten–8th | 8.4 |
| 5 | 384 students · Kindergarten–8th | 8.4 |
| 6 | 570 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.3 |
| 7 | 401 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 8 | 223 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 9 | 202 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.6 |
| 10 | 544 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.6 |
Show all 55 elementary schools in Durham
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
11 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 631 students · 6th–8th | 8.1 |
| 2 | 303 students · 6th–8th | 8.1 |
| 3 | 412 students · 6th–10th | 7.8 |
| 4 | 400 students · 6th–8th | 7.2 |
| 5 | 413 students · 6th–8th | 6.2 |
| 6 | 770 students · 6th–8th | 6.0 |
| 7 | 693 students · 6th–8th | 5.7 |
| 8 | 811 students · 6th–8th | 5.5 |
| 9 | 738 students · 6th–8th | 5.2 |
| 10 | 624 students · 6th–8th | 3.1 |
Show all 11 middle schools in Durham
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
High Schools
15 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 336 students · 9th–12th | 9.5 |
| 2 | 239 students · 9th–12th | 8.6 |
| 3 | 134 students · 11th–12th | 8.5 |
| 4 | 1,767 students · 6th–12th | 8.2 |
| 5 | 438 students · 6th–12th | 7.4 |
| 6 | 386 students · 9th–12th | 7.2 |
| 7 | 2,068 students · 9th–12th | 6.8 |
| 8 | 1,334 students · 9th–12th | 6.1 |
| 9 | 1,851 students · 9th–12th | 5.2 |
| 10 | 70 students · 6th–12th | 4.9 |
Show all 15 high schools in Durham
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Other Schools
23 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 777 students · Kindergarten–10th | 7.6 | ||
| 2 | 1,363 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.3 | ||
| 3 | 1,029 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.9 | ||
| 4 | 369 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.0 | ||
| 5 | 2,523 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.2 | ||
| 6 | 2,959 students · Kindergarten–12th | 3.6 | ||
Private Schools17 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 1,211 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Montessori School of RaleighPrivate 238 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | Cresset Christian AcademyPrivate 171 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | 583 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 23 other schools in Durham
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Schools in Durham
Durham, North Carolina · 104 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 8 ZIP codes
Median Income
$81,217
Median Home Value
$365,375
Median Rent
$1,401/mo
Population
338,994
College Educated
52%
Homeownership
59%
Avg Commute
24 min
Poverty Rate
12.2%
Community Profile
Durham has a median household income of $81,217. 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 $365,375, with a median rent of $1,401/month. The area has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The average commute for residents is 24 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- North Carolina
- Elementary
- 55
- Middle
- 11
- High
- 15
- Other
- 23
Resources
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
Other Major Cities in North Carolina
Top metros statewide by school count.
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Durham, North Carolina
How many schools are in Durham, North Carolina?
Durham has 104 schools, including 68 public and 36 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 6.6 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.
What is the top-ranked school in Durham, North Carolina?
The top-ranked school in Durham on MySchoolScout is City of Medicine Academy 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 9.0/10.
What is the best middle school in Durham, North Carolina?
The top-ranked middle school in Durham on MySchoolScout is Rogers-Herr Middle with a composite score of 8.1/10.
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 9.5/10.
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 $81,217 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Durham, North Carolina?
Yes, Durham has 36 private schools alongside 68 public schools. The top-rated private school is Gorman Christian Academy & Early Learning Center with a score of 8.8/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Durham, North Carolina?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Durham is 11.6:1. 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 built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
Related reading
- Moving to Raleigh-Durham? A Parent's Guide to School Choice in the Triangleguides
- Best Elementary Schools in America: 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Charter Schools vs Public Schools: What the Data Actually Shows (2026)school choice
- Moving before 2027? The federal school choice tax credit follows the state, not youschool choice
- The New School Choice Map: Is Your State Participating in the Federal Tuition Tax Credit?data insights
Get school insights in your inbox
New rankings and parent guides, free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, North Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.