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The School for Creative Studies

Q: Is The School for Creative Studies a good school?

The School for Creative Studies ranks 444 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-12

444^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 31% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

The School for Creative Studies is a public magnet high school in Durham Public Schools, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 438 students. While the school has a specialized focus on the creative arts, its academic performance has declined over the past decade, now ranking 444th out of 398 high schools in the state.

The School for Creative Studies consistently underperforms the district and state in most standardized test scores, though it does perform better than the district and state in 8th grade science. The school's strengths lie in its support for Special Education students, who rank 58th out of 352 high schools in the state. However, the school struggles with its Gifted and Talented student population, ranking 317th out of 398 high schools. Compared to nearby Durham School of the Arts, which consistently ranks among the top 25% of high schools in the state, The School for Creative Studies has significantly lower academic metrics.

The school's high percentage of free and reduced-lunch recipients, ranging from 34% to 61%, suggests it faces greater socioeconomic challenges that may impact academic performance. While the school performs better than some other nearby schools, its overall decline in statewide ranking and underperformance in key areas indicate that the school may benefit from targeted support and resources to address its unique challenges and better serve its diverse student population.

350

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,022

Per pupil spending ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5001 Red Mill Rd
Durham, NC 27704-8566

(919) 560-3535

District: Durham Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.9%

Hispanic:

32.0%

White:

13.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare The School for Creative Studies to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2015 → 31st in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (88%)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (47% vs 54% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 38 percentile points since 2015

!Math III scores 27 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg47%

North Carolina avg54%

Middle school

462^nd of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

444^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 39 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 12High Schools in the Durham Public Schools

163^rd of 242Durham Public Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.1	462 of 773	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.1	402 of 793	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.2	427 of 784	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	532 of 786	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	475 of 741	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.3	430 of 737	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.5	401 of 691	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.1	363 of 694	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.8	432 of 692	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	44.2	405 of 705	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	39.8	375 of 627	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	22.3	532 of 673	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.3	601 of 662	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.5	606 of 648	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	5.8	604 of 640	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.5	589 of 630	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	10.0	569 of 620	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	12.3	558 of 606	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	14.7	544 of 598	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	60.0	164 of 546	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.4	98 of 560	82.5%	★★★★☆
2023	57.2	175 of 559	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.2	212 of 550	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.9	185 of 533	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.9	140 of 519	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	63.2	130 of 494	73.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	40.3	232 of 449	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	155 of 478	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.5	101 of 504	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	52.8	166 of 475	65.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	497 of 733	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.3	326 of 738	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.3	403 of 731	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	487 of 733	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.8	510 of 706	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.5	347 of 684	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.5	335 of 656	48.9%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.6	77 of 458	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	36.4	384 of 461	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.8	303 of 452	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	371 of 450	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.6	319 of 448	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.5	345 of 416	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.9	95 of 127	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	62.9	161 of 562	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	46.4	298 of 564	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	339 of 553	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.1	418 of 541	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.2	378 of 522	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.3	314 of 493	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	348 of 472	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.9	282 of 729	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.3	361 of 743	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.1	400 of 735	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.1	473 of 689	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.3	348 of 633	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.9	420 of 639	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	419 of 604	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	394 of 733	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	442 of 751	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	430 of 747	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	517 of 748	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	425 of 711	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	473 of 697	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.9	448 of 665	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	213 of 478	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.5	75 of 473	84.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	85.1	82 of 652	87.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	193 of 656	70.6%	★★★★☆
2022	55.6	273 of 658	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.7	224 of 624	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.1	163 of 596	72.7%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	444 of 641	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.0	405 of 640	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.0	428 of 626	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	456 of 621	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	450 of 594	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.0	345 of 514	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	256 of 469	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.6	231 of 476	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	34.5	280 of 507	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.8	163 of 531	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	42.2	339 of 499	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	27.1	330 of 440	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.8	185 of 437	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	151 of 434	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.4	271 of 430	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.2	167 of 364	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.2	156 of 369	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	70 of 359	80.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	68.5	52 of 330	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.3	60 of 334	82.0%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	71 of 364	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	84.9	29 of 349	91.7%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	31.8	152 of 226	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	468 of 610	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	368 of 602	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	341 of 588	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.3	419 of 594	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.3	332 of 475	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.2	391 of 475	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.2	262 of 449	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	36.8	317 of 398	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	287 of 325	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	88 of 100	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	32.9	310 of 462	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.8	221 of 454	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.9	277 of 449	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.4	308 of 436	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.0	298 of 370	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	285 of 354	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	47.5	148 of 340	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	485 of 606	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	335 of 613	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.2	452 of 597	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	448 of 544	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.2	286 of 432	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.6	282 of 446	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.2	154 of 424	63.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	436 of 601	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.3	428 of 607	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	470 of 602	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	458 of 585	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.7	376 of 481	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.2	283 of 488	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	264 of 463	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.7	58 of 352	83.5%	★★★★☆
2024	55.2	101 of 349	71.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	60.8	131 of 444	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	40.3	250 of 427	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

White (2024)87th percentile+38 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)83rd percentile+43 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile+31 vs school

African American (2025)70th percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)61st percentile+21 vs school

Special Education (2025)55th percentile+15 vs school

Disabled (2022)48th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2025)46th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile-8 vs school

High school

Disabled (2022)84th percentile+58 vs school

Special Education (2025)84th percentile+53 vs school

White (2019)70th percentile+38 vs school

Hispanic (2025)33rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)33rd percentile~ school

Male (2025)27th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2025)25th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2022)20th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science63%+3 vs state

Biology62%+14 vs state

Mathematics46%-7 vs state

Reading45%-7 vs state

English II42%-18 vs state

Math III39%-27 vs state

Math I39%+5 vs state

2.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, February 29, 2016

expected so much more from this place, but quite let down...will be going lottery for my children. Academics are weak, after-school clubs are almost non-existent and I see no way this school is preparing students for the rigor they face ahead. Look elsewhere. Close Quote

Schools Near The School for Creative Studies

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The School for Creative Studies	Public, Magnet	6-12	5001 Red Mill Rd	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3535	350	34	10.2	98.9%	46 (13.1%)	171 (48.9%)	112 (32.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)	30.2	444^th of 641 public high schools	30.7%		35	405^th of 640 public high schools	36.7%	39	62.5	42.0	39.4	39.5	50.9	39.5	45.8	43.6	36.8	52.5	62.7	$12,022	$1,332	$10,689
Lakeview School	Public	6-12	3507 Dearborn Drive	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2520	52	19	2.8	94.2%	3 (5.8%)	32 (61.5%)	8 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (17.3%)	1.1	641^st of 641 public high schools	0.0%		1.1	640^th of 640 public high schools	0.0%	1		5.9		15.8		5.0			20.0	6.3		$45,258	$734	$44,524
Northern High	Public	9-12	4622 N Roxboro Street	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-3956	1,281	70	18.3	99.8%	197 (15.4%)	498 (38.9%)	517 (40.4%)	23 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (3.4%)	23.5	502^nd of 641 public high schools	21.7%		10.9	586^th of 640 public high schools	8.4%	84	31.9	38.6	21.5	59.5								$10,719	$535	$10,184
Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi	Public, Magnet	9-12	800 Clayton Road	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3968	1,384	65	21.2	99.8%	32 (2.3%)	624 (45.1%)	668 (48.3%)	7 (0.5%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	46 (3.3%)	10.4	596^th of 641 public high schools	7.0%		8.5	604^th of 640 public high schools	5.6%	8	16.3	35.1	16.4	30.6								$11,432	$509	$10,923
City of Medicine Academy	Public	9-12	301 Crutchfield Road	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2001	329	20	16.6	98.5%	24 (7.3%)	121 (36.8%)	157 (47.7%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	94.9	25^th of 641 public high schools	96.1%		85	112^th of 640 public high schools	82.5%	87	95.9	94.4	86.5	97.1								$12,056	$1,005	$11,051
Holton Career and Resource Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver St	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2219	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Durham's Performance Learning Center	Public	9-12	401 North Driver Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-9190	122	17	7.3	90.2%	3 (2.5%)	61 (50.0%)	52 (42.6%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.1%)	3.6	628^th of 641 public high schools	2.0%		14.1	558^th of 640 public high schools	12.8%	70	11.9	8.3		23.5								$15,776	$849	$14,927
Durham School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-12	401 North Duke Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 560-3926	1,764	100	17.6	99.2%	612 (34.7%)	437 (24.8%)	542 (30.7%)	50 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (6.9%)	85.1	111^th of 641 public high schools	82.7%		80.5	132^nd of 640 public high schools	79.4%	21	77.0	87.9	59.2	86.9	66.2	78.2	83.2	70.0	74.7	78.2	78.6	$10,260	$523	$9,737
Riverside High	Public	9-12	3218 Rose of Sharon Road	Durham	27712	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-3965	1,900	94	20.3	99.8%	490 (25.8%)	534 (28.1%)	728 (38.3%)	50 (2.6%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (5.0%)	25.2	492^nd of 641 public high schools	23.2%		25	484^th of 640 public high schools	24.4%	8	38.5	46.6	17.9	49.2								$10,389	$739	$9,651
Middle College High School @ DTCC	Public	11-12	1637 Lawson Street	Durham	27703	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 536-7203	164	7	23.4	98.2%	53 (32.3%)	46 (28.0%)	46 (28.0%)	5 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	13 (7.9%)								(n/a)				85.3								$8,584	$195	$8,389

Frequently Asked Questions about The School for Creative Studies

Is The School for Creative Studies a good school?

The School for Creative Studies ranks 444^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend The School for Creative Studies?

In the 2024-25 school year, 350 students attended The School for Creative Studies.

What district is The School for Creative Studies in?

Durham Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of The School for Creative Studies?

Students at The School for Creative Studies are 49% African American, 32% Hispanic, 13% White, 5% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.