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Excellent

#314 of 2,648 schools in NC

Top 12% in state

Chapel Hill High

High School · Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools · Chapel Hill, NC

A Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools high school where students score 8 points above what's typical for similar communities.

9217 Seawell School Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

  • Math 75% vs NC 56% (2025)
  • Reading 81% vs NC 54% (2025)
  • 95.0% 4-year graduation

Academics

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics
Student Progress7.5Very Good25%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-1.13 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.8Excellent25%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency74.7% (2025 NC)
Reading/ELA Proficiency80.8% (2025 NC)
Math vs. State Avg+18.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+27.2 pts
Overall Proficiency78% (2025 NC, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)69% (model expectation from 2025 NC)
vs. Expected+8.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile82th
College Readiness8.7Excellent30%
Graduation rates, AP course participation, and IB availability.
View breakdown
4-Year Graduation Rate95%
AP Participation41.3%
IB ProgramNo
Resources & Environment7.7Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.4:1
District spending per student$16,963
Chronic Absenteeism29.7%

Students at Chapel Hill High score 78% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 69%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 NC proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. NC average.

Math Proficiency75%(2025 NC)
School
State
56%(2025 NC)
ELA Proficiency81%(2025 NC)
School
State
54%(2025 NC)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 9 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 78% recently.

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
88%
ELA
86%
2010
Math
91%
ELA
89%
2011
Math
89%
ELA
93%
2012
Math
63%
ELA
81%
2013
Math
59%
ELA
81%
2014
Math
67%
ELA
79%
2015
Math
72%
ELA
78%
2016
Math
70%
ELA
77%
2017
Math
1%
ELA
75%
2018
Math
80%
ELA
75%
2019
Math
80%
ELA
75%
2020*
Math
79%
ELA
47%
2021*
Math
79%
ELA
47%
2025
Math
75%
ELA
81%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 76% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 28 test records from NC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

24.8%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

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

The neighborhood

Where Chapel Hill High sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 6Car-Dependent
  • Transit 22Minimal Transit
  • Bike 69Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,693/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Chapel Hill), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$100,788

Median home value

$508,400

Median rent

$1,446/mo

College educated

72.4%

Homeownership

72%

Poverty rate

15.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 27516; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

AP/IB Programs4AP courses offered
41.3% participation·State avg: 3 AP courses·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics25sports offered
12 boys'·13 girls'·40 teams (incl. JV)·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM Courses5of 5 advanced subjects offered
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Emerson Waldorf SchoolPrivate · tuition7.0privatePK–122.8 mi233Compare →
East Chapel Hill HighEnrollment path unverified8.79–123.0 mi1,411Compare →
Phoenix Academy HighEnrollment path unverifiedNot rated8–123.1 mi21Compare →
Virtual Academy SchoolEnrollment path unverifiedNot rated9–123.1 mi39Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools

Schools in district
21
Rank in district
#9 of 18
District spending per student
$16,963NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

Chapel Hill High is listed in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Chapel Hill High

Chapel Hill High is a public high school in Chapel Hill, NC, part of Chapel Hill-carrboro City Schools, serving approximately 1,638 students in grades 9th-12th with a 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.2 out of 10 and ranks #314 of 2,648 schools in NC. State assessment records show 71% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 76% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Chapel Hill High

What grades does Chapel Hill High serve?

Chapel Hill High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Chapel Hill High?

Chapel Hill High has an enrollment of approximately 1,638 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Chapel Hill High?

The student-teacher ratio at Chapel Hill High is 16.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Chapel Hill High rank in NC?

Chapel Hill High ranks #314 of 2,648 schools in NC.

What is Chapel Hill High's MySchoolScout rating?

Chapel Hill High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Chapel Hill High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Chapel Hill High has 71% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 76% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Chapel Hill High a charter school?

No, Chapel Hill High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Chapel Hill High a Title I school?

No, Chapel Hill High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Chapel Hill High?

24.8% of students at Chapel Hill High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
1,638
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
100
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Orange County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
29.7%
4-Year Graduation
95.0%
Area population (ZIP 27516)
46,372
Area average commute
23.8 min
Area median age
35.8
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 27516; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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