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5.8avg / 10

Best Schools in Goldsboro, North Carolina

32 schools · 13 Elementary · 5 Middle · 7 High · 7 Other

Public: 23
Private: 9
Districts: 3
Avg Rating: 5.8/10
Estimated Scores: 23%
Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Goldsboro?

Use this page to compare every school in Goldsboro 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.

Meadow Lane Elementary

8.3/10

Elementary · Wayne County Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

Rosewood Elementary

8.3/10

Elementary · Wayne County Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

Wayne School of Engineering

8.2/10

High · Wayne County Public Schools. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Goldsboro for 2026 are Meadow Lane Elementary (8.3/10), Rosewood Elementary (8.3/10), and Wayne School of Engineering (8.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 23 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

32

23 public · 9 private

Avg Score

5.8

out of 10

Median Home

$182,100

home value · ACS

Districts

3

serving the city

Best value · beats the odds
Meadow Lane Elementary

Rates 8.3/10 despite 100% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.5 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 Goldsboro schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Meadow Lane Elementary

STAAR proficiency rose +13.3 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Goldsboro schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Goldsboro

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 23 rated schools; 32 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Meadow Lane Elementary8.3 / 10
2Rosewood Elementary8.3 / 10
3Wayne School of Engineering8.2 / 10
4Eastern Wayne Elementary7.8 / 10
5Spring Creek Elementary7.2 / 10
6Rosewood High7.1 / 10
7Tommy's Road Elementary7.1 / 10
8Grantham Middle7.1 / 10
9Eastern Wayne High6.8 / 10
10Wayne Early / Middle College High6.5 / 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
5.8/10

27% of schools rated 7+

Median household income
$57,729

Census ACS, ZIPs in this city

Median home value
$182,100

Owner-occupied units

Bachelor's degree or higher
15%

Adults 25+

Avg commute
21 min

Workers age 16+

Owner-occupied homes
37%

Of occupied housing units

How Goldsboro compares

North Carolina rank

#188 of 255

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

-0.5

below North Carolina avg (6.3)

Median household income

$58k

85% of North Carolina median

Schools in this city

30

Wayne County Public Schools runs 91% of Goldsboro's public schools

Goldsboro touches 3 districts, but Wayne County Public Schools is the one most addresses actually attend.

Wayne County Public Schools accounts for 21 of 23 public schools (91%). The other 2 districts hold the remaining 2.

Among 23 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 1.7 to 8.3 — the spread is inside Goldsboro, not a citywide average.

About Schools in Goldsboro, North Carolina

Goldsboro, North Carolina offers parents 22 ranked public schools to evaluate, giving families a meaningful range of options across the city. The district average sits at 6.1 out of 10, and 6 schools — 27% of all ranked schools — clear the 7-point threshold, meaning more than one in four options here reaches above-average performance. That spread matters: parents who research carefully can land a child in a school performing well above the city baseline.

Elementary options lead the pack in Goldsboro. Spring Creek Elementary tops every school in the city with an 8.4 out of 10, the strongest score among all 22 ranked schools. Grantham Elementary and Rosewood Elementary both score 7.8, putting them firmly in the above-average tier alongside Spring Creek. Meadow Lane Elementary posts a 7.4, and Edgewood Community Developmental rounds out the top five at 7.2 — a notable result for a high school in a landscape where the city's elementary schools dominate the performance standings.

The concentration of strong performers at the elementary level is the most useful signal for families with younger children. Three elementaries scoring 7.8 or higher means real choice exists at that grade band — parents are not locked into a single high-performing option. The gap between the top school (8.4) and the city average (6.1) is 2.3 points, which reflects meaningful variation across the district. That range rewards research: a child assigned to a lower-scoring school likely has a transfer or magnet option that scores significantly higher.

For parents actively comparing Goldsboro schools, the practical play is to start with Spring Creek, Grantham, and Rosewood as elementary benchmarks and work backward from there. Check district boundaries and open-enrollment windows early — the three highest-scoring elementaries are likely in demand. Families with high schoolers should look closely at Edgewood Community Developmental, which stands out as the only high school in the top-five list. The 6.1 city average is a useful floor: any school scoring at or above that mark is performing in line with the district, while the 27% above 7.0 represent Goldsboro's strongest academic options.

Elementary Schools

13 schools
#SchoolRating
1713 students · Pre-K–4th8.3
2648 students · Pre-K–5th8.3
3525 students · Pre-K–5th7.8
4823 students · Pre-K–4th7.2
5569 students · Pre-K–5th7.1
6422 students · Kindergarten–4th5.5
7412 students · 3rd–5th3.9
8258 students · Kindergarten–8th2.4
9484 students · Pre-K–2nd1.7
Private Schools4 schools

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

1216 students · Pre-K–8thNot Rated
Show all 13 elementary schools in Goldsboro

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.

Middle Schools

5 schools
#SchoolRating
1308 students · 5th–8th7.1
2464 students · 6th–8th6.3
3359 students · 5th–8th5.7
4347 students · 6th–8th5.4
5322 students · 6th–8th3.3

High Schools

7 schools
#SchoolRating
1427 students · 6th–UG8.2
2447 students · 9th–12th7.1
3806 students · 9th–12th6.8
4232 students · 9th–UG6.5
537 students · 6th–12th6.1
6442 students · 9th–12th5.6
742 students · 10th–12th4.0

Other Schools

7 schools
#SchoolRating
1222 students · 6th–11th6.5
2944 students · Kindergarten–12th5.2
Private Schools5 schools

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.

167 students · Kindergarten–12thNot Rated
2345 students · Pre-K–12thNot Rated
3287 students · Pre-K–12thNot Rated
4737 students · Pre-K–12thNot Rated
532 students · Kindergarten–12thNot Rated

Schools in Goldsboro

Goldsboro, North Carolina · 32 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes

Median Income

$57,729

Median Home Value

$182,100

Median Rent

$967/mo

Population

69,642

College Educated

15%

Homeownership

37%

Avg Commute

21 min

Poverty Rate

9.9%

Community Profile

Goldsboro has a median household income of $57,729. It is a community where 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $182,100, with a median rent of $967/month. The local poverty rate of 9.9% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 21 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

Elementary
13
Middle
5
High
7
Other
7

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 rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Goldsboro, North Carolina

How many schools are in Goldsboro, North Carolina?

Goldsboro has 32 schools, including 23 public and 9 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

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

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Goldsboro is 5.8 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 Goldsboro, North Carolina?

The top-ranked school in Goldsboro on MySchoolScout is Meadow Lane Elementary with a composite score of 8.3/10.

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

The top-ranked elementary school in Goldsboro on MySchoolScout is Meadow Lane Elementary with a composite score of 8.3/10.

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

The top-ranked middle school in Goldsboro on MySchoolScout is Grantham Middle with a composite score of 7.1/10.

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

The top-ranked high school in Goldsboro on MySchoolScout is Wayne School of Engineering with a composite score of 8.2/10.

How many school districts serve Goldsboro, North Carolina?

Goldsboro is served by 3 school districts: Dillard Academy, Wayne Preparatory, Wayne County Public Schools.

What is the education level in Goldsboro, North Carolina?

According to Census data, 15% of adults in Goldsboro have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Goldsboro, North Carolina?

The median household income in Goldsboro is approximately $57,729 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Goldsboro, North Carolina?

Yes, Goldsboro has 9 private schools alongside 23 public schools. The top-rated private school is Pathway Christian Academy with a score of 6.2/10.

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

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Goldsboro is 15.3:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Goldsboro, 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.

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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.