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Excelsior Classical Academy

Q: Is Excelsior Classical Academy a good school?

Excelsior Classical Academy ranks 719 th of 1490 North Carolina alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

719^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Alternative Schools

Better than 52% of North Carolina alternative schools

Summary

Excelsior Classical Academy is a public charter school in Durham, North Carolina, serving 1,029 students in grades K-12. As a classical school, it focuses on a curriculum centered around the trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, with a 4-year graduation rate ranging from 86.4% to 92.9% over the past 5 years.

Excelsior Classical Academy's academic performance is mixed compared to nearby charter schools. While the school outperforms the state in reading and science, with proficiency rates ranging from 53.3% to 65.2% across grade levels, it generally performs below the state average in mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 44.2% to 60.9%. In end-of-course (EOC) exams, the school's performance is also mixed, with lower proficiency rates in Biology (23.8%) but higher rates in Math III (67.2%). Notably, Woods Charter, Eno River Academy, and Voyager Academy, nearby charter schools, tend to have higher proficiency rates across various subjects and lower student-teacher ratios compared to Excelsior Classical Academy.

Another interesting finding is the proximity of Excelsior Classical Academy to Durham Charter School, which is located just 3.61 miles away and has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (98.58%) compared to Excelsior's undisclosed rate. Durham Charter School also outperforms Excelsior Classical Academy in several subject areas, particularly in mathematics and science. Additionally, Excelsior Classical Academy's performance is generally higher than that of the virtual charter schools in the area, such as Ignite Online Academy and North Carolina Cyber Academy, which tend to have lower proficiency rates across various subjects.

1,032

Students ?

24.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

7.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4100 N Roxboro Street
Durham, NC 27704-2122

(919) 213-8585

District: Excelsior Classical Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.7%

Hispanic:

29.5%

African American:

20.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Excelsior Classical Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2022 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓93% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (88%)

✓Above the North Carolina median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2022

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Biology scores 24 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

North Carolina avg56%

Elementary school

719^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 20 pts since 2017

From bottom 31% (2017) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

378^th of 773

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 11 pts since 2019

From top 38% (2019) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

421^st of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 17 pts since 2024

From top 48% (2024) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	719 of 1490	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	576 of 1505	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.6	659 of 1502	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	602 of 1514	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.2	396 of 1489	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	63.9	507 of 1473	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	645 of 1434	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	36.2	981 of 1429	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	360 of 918	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	304 of 924	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	298 of 933	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.9	234 of 927	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	136 of 896	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.5	443 of 949	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	24.6	778 of 927	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	61.3	161 of 646	75.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	650 of 1451	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.4	506 of 1455	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.4	628 of 1459	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	684 of 1458	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.9	464 of 1440	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.8	685 of 1424	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	610 of 1405	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.3	635 of 961	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	788 of 951	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	694 of 915	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.1	620 of 893	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.6	365 of 843	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.5	880 of 1437	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.1	1096 of 1450	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	46.2	786 of 1437	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	689 of 1366	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.4	431 of 1329	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.1	762 of 1450	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.7	657 of 1464	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	655 of 1461	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.8	492 of 1464	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.5	327 of 1444	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	71.1	359 of 1430	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	50.5	749 of 1413	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	60.4	45 of 133	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.4	28 of 97	71.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	50.9	319 of 821	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.1	495 of 801	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.2	535 of 1172	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.2	419 of 1166	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.0	526 of 1183	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.1	544 of 1194	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.0	308 of 1172	73.7%	★★★★☆
2019	74.9	244 of 1183	79.4%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	334 of 1178	71.6%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.2	378 of 773	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.1	334 of 793	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	386 of 784	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.4	344 of 786	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.0	214 of 741	71.1%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	279 of 737	62.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.9	237 of 546	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	145 of 560	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	53.2	203 of 559	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.3	187 of 550	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	133 of 533	75.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	80.2	26 of 478	94.6%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	46.8	397 of 733	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	379 of 738	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.9	396 of 731	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	356 of 733	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.9	173 of 706	75.5%	★★★★☆
2019	55.9	304 of 684	55.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.2	386 of 562	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.9	438 of 564	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.8	443 of 553	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	435 of 541	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.6	218 of 522	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	35.8	482 of 729	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.8	618 of 743	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	612 of 735	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	600 of 689	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.9	311 of 633	50.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.2	317 of 733	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	279 of 751	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	343 of 747	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.7	315 of 748	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	244 of 711	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.9	249 of 697	64.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	87 of 328	73.5%	★★★★☆
2024	50.0	150 of 306	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.8	145 of 302	52.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	51.9	154 of 473	67.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	273 of 649	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	231 of 652	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	323 of 656	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.9	280 of 658	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.0	137 of 632	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	78.1	117 of 624	81.3%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	33.6	421 of 641	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	310 of 640	51.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	34.6	276 of 440	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.1	161 of 437	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	34.6	412 of 610	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	340 of 602	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.0	383 of 462	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.2	208 of 454	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	15.3	557 of 606	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	464 of 613	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	410 of 601	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.2	289 of 607	52.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	209 of 542	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	239 of 553	56.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Disabled (2021)75th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2022)66th percentile+6 vs school

Special Education (2025)61st percentile+9 vs school

African American (2025)61st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)54th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2025)34th percentile-18 vs school

Middle school

Disabled (2021)95th percentile+23 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)73rd percentile+22 vs school

Special Education (2024)67th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)58th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)57th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)57th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)46th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2025)31st percentile-20 vs school

High school

White (2025)61st percentile+27 vs school

African American (2025)37th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)32nd percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)17th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)8th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III67%~ state avg

Science63%~ state avg

Reading58%+5 vs state

English II53%-6 vs state

Mathematics50%-7 vs state

Biology24%-24 vs state

3.7

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Great school with caring staff. Close Quote

Schools Near Excelsior Classical Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	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 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Excelsior Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4100 N Roxboro Street	Durham	27704	Durham County	Excelsior Classical Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 213-8585	1,032	42	24.7		410 (39.7%)	216 (20.9%)	304 (29.5%)	22 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (7.8%)								(n/a)	23.8	53.1		67.2	60.9	48.9	54.3	48.9	44.4	44.2	53.3	61.7	58.7	48.9	60.0	65.1	65.2	60.5
Voyager Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	101 Hock Parc Drive	Durham	27704	Durham County	Voyager Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 433-3301	1,360	101	13.4	20.4%	714 (52.5%)	348 (25.6%)	156 (11.5%)	43 (3.2%)	15 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (6.1%)								(n/a)	74.8	74.0	55.6	76.5	80.6	67.6	67.6	73.3	71.3	60.0	56.1	71.6	75.5	70.5	71.3	81.0	81.4	91.0
DPS Hospital School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	DUMC Room 3605	Durham	27710	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 684-5684	0	15	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)																			$64,167	$195	$63,972
Durham Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-11	807 West Chapel Hill Street	Durham	27701	Durham County	Durham Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 956-5599	1,010	73	13.8	99.0%	17 (1.7%)	185 (18.3%)	783 (77.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.1%)								(n/a)	44.9	56.5	50.0	82.4	80.0	71.8	84.4	76.0	44.8	53.7	51.4	52.1	46.9	61.0	51.7	58.5	89.1	86.6
Discovery Charter	Public, Charter, Alternative	6-11	501 Orange Factory Road	Bahama	27503	Durham County	Discovery Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(984) 888-5504	453	29	15.4		230 (50.8%)	114 (25.2%)	58 (12.8%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.2%)								(n/a)	37.8	43.9	36.5	52.9				62.4	50.0	52.4				60.4	58.3	62.1		56.3
NC Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4220 NC Highway 55	Durham	27713	Durham County	NC Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(919) 346-0121	3,482	186	18.7		1,480 (42.5%)	1,021 (29.3%)	497 (14.3%)	59 (1.7%)	45 (1.3%)	5 (0.1%)	375 (10.8%)								(n/a)	44.1	56.3	28.8	50.8	45.3	29.2	47.3	36.4	36.8	28.1	49.2	47.9	54.6	46.9	52.9	48.6	61.0	47.3
North Carolina Cyber Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2800 Meridian Parkway	Durham	27713	Durham County	North Carolina Cyber Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(984) 262-9237	2,461	144	17.0		1,071 (43.5%)	688 (28.0%)	401 (16.3%)	71 (2.9%)	28 (1.1%)	7 (0.3%)	195 (7.9%)								(n/a)	42.2	71.1	20.8	58.1	46.0	37.8	36.2	35.0	40.1	25.8	37.6	53.0	50.0	43.3	52.4	53.8	54.3	43.9
Ignite Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	5321 Ephesus Church Rd.	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 972-4400	363	28	12.9	58.1%	60 (16.5%)	174 (47.9%)	81 (22.3%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	42 (11.6%)								(n/a)	17.6	43.8		30.6	27.3	33.3	33.3	20.0	25.0	37.0	27.3	66.7	28.6	40.0	57.1	51.9	76.2	40.7
Falls Lake Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1701 East Lyon Station Road	Creedmoor	27522	Granville County	Falls Lake Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 964-9003	1,105	86	12.8		789 (71.4%)	116 (10.5%)	123 (11.1%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (6.1%)								(n/a)	60.9	75.6	18.8	81.3	74.7	55.4	73.3	75.6	86.6	49.4	67.5	65.1	58.1	59.8	74.4	63.9	77.9	73.5
Eno River Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1212 NC Highway 57 North	Hillsborough	27278	Orange County	Eno River Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 644-6272	828	62	13.2		641 (77.4%)	36 (4.3%)	72 (8.7%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	67 (8.1%)								(n/a)	69.1	85.3	55.8	90.1	75.0	66.7	75.6	80.3	76.9	63.5	72.5	74.4	75.6	73.8	73.8	71.9	82.9	87.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Excelsior Classical Academy

What district is Excelsior Classical Academy in?

Excelsior Classical Academy

Is Excelsior Classical Academy a good school?

Excelsior Classical Academy ranks 719^th of 1490 North Carolina alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Excelsior Classical Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,032 students attended Excelsior Classical Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Excelsior Classical Academy?

Students at Excelsior Classical Academy are 40% White, 29% Hispanic, 21% African American, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.