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Best High Schools in Cary, NC

At a glance

Schools

10,257

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedWake STEM Early College High School6^th of 641 North Carolina high schools

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Biggest riser

Cary High up 78 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Cary High 17.4 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

3★

0★

Compare North Carolina cities →See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The city of Cary, North Carolina is home to 7 high schools, serving students in grades 9-12. These schools are part of the Wake County Schools district and offer a range of academic programs and extracurricular activities. The data reveals significant differences in the performance and characteristics of these high schools, with some standouts and others in need of improvement.

Green Level High and Wake STEM Early College High School are the top-performing schools in the area, ranking among the best in the state with 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger. These schools boast exceptional test scores, with proficiency rates exceeding 90% in core subjects. In contrast, SCORE Academy is the lowest-performing school, with proficiency rates ranging from just 5.1% to 18.8%.

The free and reduced-price lunch rates vary significantly across the schools, from 6.24% at Green Level High to 83.48% at SCORE Academy. This suggests a potential correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement, a common trend in education. Additionally, the spending per student is highest at SCORE Academy, indicating that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving academic outcomes.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cary High	Public	9-12	638 Walnut St	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3549	2,044	117	17.4	38.6%	879 (43.0%)	352 (17.2%)	597 (29.2%)	114 (5.6%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (4.6%)	62.1	218^th of 641 public high schools	66.0%		50.5	296^th of 640 public high schools	53.8%	78	63.4	70.2	31.4	73.9	$8,602	$403	$8,198
Green Hope High	Public	9-12	2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 380-3700	2,304	112	20.5	12.5%	1,036 (45.0%)	149 (6.5%)	179 (7.8%)	852 (37.0%)	6 (0.3%)	5 (0.2%)	77 (3.3%)	87.6	93^rd of 641 public high schools	85.5%		89.1	88^th of 640 public high schools	86.3%	5	81.3	86.9	58.7	91.5	$7,421	$399	$7,021
Panther Creek High	Public	9-12	6770 McCrimmon Parkway	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 463-8656	2,609	128	20.3	14.8%	624 (23.9%)	396 (15.2%)	204 (7.8%)	1,251 (47.9%)	13 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	119 (4.6%)	85.1	110^th of 641 public high schools	82.8%		85.9	109^th of 640 public high schools	83.0%	1	78.9	86.1	51.0	89.7	$7,426	$339	$7,087
Wake STEM Early College High School	Public	9-12	2205 Walnut Street	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8130	294	15	20.2	35.7%	98 (33.3%)	40 (13.6%)	84 (28.6%)	60 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	96.4	6^th of 641 public high schools	99.1%		93.9	43^rd of 640 public high schools	93.3%	37	93.4	98.6	90.9		$10,774	$232	$10,542
Crossroads FLEX	Public, Virtual	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 694-8515	139	6	23.4	5.8%	95 (68.3%)	9 (6.5%)	13 (9.4%)	13 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.5%)	92.5	56^th of 641 public high schools	91.3%		89.2	87^th of 640 public high schools	86.4%	31	73.3	100.0		99.9	$9,819	$232	$9,587
SCORE Academy	Public	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8560	584	32	18.3	99.5%	164 (28.1%)	210 (36.0%)	174 (29.8%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.9%)	2.7	633^rd of 641 public high schools	1.2%		3.9	624^th of 640 public high schools	2.5%	9	5.3	17.1		18.8	$16,937	$337	$16,599
Green Level High	Public	9-12	7600 Roberts Rd	Cary	27519	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8222	2,283	112	20.4	6.4%	820 (35.9%)	102 (4.5%)	135 (5.9%)	1,133 (49.6%)	8 (0.4%)	3 (0.1%)	82 (3.6%)	93.9	37^th of 641 public high schools	94.2%		92.7	52^nd of 640 public high schools	91.9%	15	89.6	93.2	72.5

Cities Near Cary

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Apex	2.58 mi	23	26^th
Raleigh	2.81 mi	107	176^th
Morrisville	5.18 mi	6	31^st
Holly Springs	6.39 mi	12	46^th
Garner	8.83 mi	14	254^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.