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Riverside High

Q: Is Riverside High a good school?

Riverside High ranks 485 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Riverside High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,900 students attended Riverside High.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Riverside High?

Students at Riverside High are 38% Hispanic, 28% African American, 26% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Riverside High?

Riverside High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : E K Powe Elementary Elementary : Hillandale Elementary Elementary : Holt Elementary Middle : Brogden Middle

Public Grades 9-12

485^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 27% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Riverside High is a large traditional public high school in northern Durham, NC, serving about 1,900 students in grades 9–12 as part of Durham Public Schools, and it currently ranks in the bottom third of North Carolina high schools with a 1-star rating and a 27th-percentile statewide standing for 2025–26. The school's performance has been relatively flat over the past five reported years, hovering between the 23rd and 32nd percentiles — clearly behind Durham's top magnet and early-college programs, though generally ahead of the lowest-performing comprehensive high school nearby.

Parents considering Riverside should weigh three significant challenges. The graduation rate is 77.1%, below the district's 80.3% and well under the state's 88.8%. Chronic absenteeism affects 45.5% of students — roughly 11 points above the district and 21 points above the state. Math I proficiency is an even more serious red flag: only 22.2% of Riverside students scored proficient, about 20 points behind the state average, and this weakness has persisted for several years. Nearby options tell a very different story: City of Medicine Academy and Durham School of the Arts report chronic absenteeism below 19% and Math I proficiency rates of 89.3% and 64.6%, respectively.

Riverside's outcomes also vary dramatically by student group. Some subgroups perform well — one group has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years, ranking in the 81st percentile statewide — while English learners, Hispanic students, and low-income students rank in the bottom 6th to 12th percentile. That gap is an equity concern families should be aware of. Still, Riverside generally outperforms Northern High: 55% of Riverside students passed English II versus 39.5% at Northern, and Biology proficiency likewise runs well ahead. But the school remains far behind Durham's early-college and magnet options. The bottom line: Riverside is a neighborhood high school with real pockets of strength but serious structural challenges. Reducing chronic absenteeism, strengthening math readiness, and narrowing subgroup gaps would matter most for improvement.

1,900

Students ?

20.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,389

Per pupil spending ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

3218 Rose of Sharon Road
Durham, NC 27712-3130

(919) 560-3965

District: Durham Public Schools

Feeder schools for Riverside High:

Elementary:	E K Powe Elementary
	Hillandale Elementary
	Holt Elementary
Middle:	Brogden Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.3%

African American:

28.1%

White:

25.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Riverside High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (47% vs 60% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the North Carolina average (77% vs 89%)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 24% North Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg51%

North Carolina avg60%

485^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7High Schools in the Durham Public Schools

155^th of 246Durham 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	485 of 662	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.2	492 of 641	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	484 of 640	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.1	427 of 626	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	424 of 621	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.0	425 of 594	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.0	339 of 514	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	288 of 469	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	25.4	338 of 476	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.7	344 of 507	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	26.4	358 of 531	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	25.8	310 of 451	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	28.9	317 of 505	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.1	343 of 502	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	37.0	380 of 506	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.3	362 of 499	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.4	367 of 490	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	45.1	287 of 477	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	48.1	243 of 453	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.5	251 of 431	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	335 of 450	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.1	376 of 440	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.3	350 of 437	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	330 of 434	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	330 of 430	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.1	242 of 364	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.4	274 of 369	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.9	243 of 359	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.8	81 of 103	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	4.2	103 of 106	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.3	81 of 101	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.8	52 of 98	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.2	36 of 91	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.2	56 of 83	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.0	33 of 89	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	33 of 77	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	53.6	104 of 330	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.2	246 of 334	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.7	105 of 364	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	41.8	172 of 349	50.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.0	272 of 289	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	256 of 273	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	154 of 156	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.6	112 of 173	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.6	99 of 147	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.0	516 of 629	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.7	503 of 610	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	498 of 602	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.4	428 of 588	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.6	442 of 594	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	358 of 475	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.5	373 of 475	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.8	334 of 449	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.4	261 of 407	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.0	282 of 412	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	292 of 403	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	60.2	180 of 403	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	184 of 398	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	28.9	270 of 337	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.3	198 of 325	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.0	27 of 100	73.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	11.9	444 of 474	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.6	446 of 462	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	443 of 454	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.7	431 of 449	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.5	408 of 436	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.7	358 of 370	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	310 of 354	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	250 of 340	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	29.5	37 of 47	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.5	37 of 45	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	17.5	548 of 620	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	552 of 606	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	555 of 613	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.3	529 of 597	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	476 of 544	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	397 of 432	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.5	366 of 446	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	307 of 424	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	441 of 624	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.1	458 of 601	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	445 of 607	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	402 of 602	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.1	381 of 585	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.2	300 of 481	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.2	295 of 488	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.5	248 of 463	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	163 of 265	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.8	157 of 253	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.3	118 of 261	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.5	146 of 249	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.4	119 of 226	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	71.8	44 of 199	77.9%	★★★★☆
2019	80.3	28 of 195	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	46 of 185	75.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.3	115 of 372	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	26.6	279 of 352	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.3	191 of 349	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.0	104 of 551	81.1%	★★★★☆
2025	86.1	82 of 542	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	130 of 553	76.5%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	90 of 537	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.7	90 of 534	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	77.9	47 of 439	89.3%	★★★★☆
2019	79.2	50 of 444	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.4	57 of 427	86.7%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)81st percentile+54 vs school

Special Education (2026)69th percentile+42 vs school

Disabled (2022)68th percentile+37 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)38th percentile+12 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)36th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2026)26th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)21st percentile-5 vs school

Homeless (2024)21st percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)18th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)6th percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)6th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II55%-10 vs state

Math III55%-14 vs state

Biology51%-8 vs state

Math I22%-20 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, April 17, 2022

Top reasons to choose Riverside: top ranked PLTW Engineering program, Air Force ROTC, a multitude of sports options, many AP level course options, 40 plus clubs, smart lunch, dedicated library staff, current technology, teachers that hold students accountable, etc. Close Quote

Schools Near Riverside High

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
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	—	490 (25.8%)	534 (28.1%)	728 (38.3%)	50 (2.6%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (5.0%)	28.6	485^th of 662 public high schools	26.7%		25.2	492^nd of 641 public high schools	23.2%	7	50.6	55.0	22.2	54.7								$10,389	$739	$9,651
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	—	197 (15.4%)	498 (38.9%)	517 (40.4%)	23 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (3.4%)	13.1	592^nd of 662 public high schools	10.6%		23.5	502^nd of 641 public high schools	21.7%	90	23.6	39.5	17.5	52.3								$10,719	$535	$10,184
City of Medicine Academy	Public	9-12	301 Crutchfield St	Durham	27704	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2001	329	20	16.6	—	24 (7.3%)	121 (36.8%)	157 (47.7%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.9%)	92.8	39^th of 662 public high schools	94.1%		94.9	25^th of 641 public high schools	96.1%	14	97.8	94.0	89.3	98.8								$12,056	$1,005	$11,051
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%)								(n/a)	338.9	6.3	538.2	539.6	535.3	9.1	< 5%	8.3	18.2	8.3	16.7	$45,258	$734	$44,524
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	—	612 (34.7%)	437 (24.8%)	542 (30.7%)	50 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (6.9%)	77.1	154^th of 662 public high schools	76.7%		85.1	111^th of 641 public high schools	82.7%	43	78.6	84.4	64.6	81.3	72.8	71.6	79.2	73.7	73.4	82.4	86.4	$10,260	$523	$9,737
Discovery Charter	Public, Charter	6-12	501 Orange Factory Road	Bahama	27722	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%)	39	409^th of 662 public high schools	38.2%					(n/a)	50.7	56.6	44.2	64.3	62.2	53.4	57.0	55.1	62.1	59.1	78.5
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%)	8	613^th of 662 public high schools	7.4%		3.6	628^th of 641 public high schools	2.0%	15	25.0	26.7		43.3								$15,776	$849	$14,927
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	—	46 (13.1%)	171 (48.9%)	112 (32.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)	42.1	389^th of 662 public high schools	41.2%		30.2	444^th of 641 public high schools	30.7%	55	34.4	65.4		72.3	72.7	45.7	53.7	66.7	50.0	58.5	73.2	$12,022	$1,332	$10,689
J D Clement Early College High School	Public	9-12	1801 Fayetteville Street	Durham	27707	Durham County	Durham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 560-2696	380	14	26.2	—	16 (4.2%)	214 (56.3%)	119 (31.3%)	12 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.7%)	90.5	69^th of 662 public high schools	89.6%		94.8	26^th of 641 public high schools	95.9%	43	92.2	91.8	79.5	98.8								$8,162	$393	$7,769

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverside High

What district is Riverside High in?

Durham Public Schools

What schools feed into Riverside High?

Riverside High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : E K Powe Elementary
Elementary : Hillandale Elementary
Elementary : Holt Elementary
Middle : Brogden Middle

How many students attend Riverside High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,900 students attended Riverside High.

Is Riverside High a good school?

Riverside High ranks 485^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Riverside High?

Students at Riverside High are 38% Hispanic, 28% African American, 26% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.