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Briarcliff Elementary

Q: Is Briarcliff Elementary a good school?

Briarcliff Elementary ranks 645 th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

645^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Briarcliff Elementary is a public elementary school in Cary, North Carolina, serving 456 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Wake County Schools district, which is ranked 60 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Briarcliff Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from a high of 130 out of 1,514 North Carolina elementary schools in 2021-2022 (rated 5 stars) to a low of 645 out of 1,490 in 2024-2025 (rated 3 stars). The school generally outperforms the state and district averages in mathematics and reading proficiency, with some exceptions, such as lower 3rd-grade math proficiency and 5th-grade science proficiency compared to the district and state. Briarcliff's male students, African American students, and disabled students consistently perform well compared to their peers statewide, while the school faces challenges in addressing the needs of its Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low-socioeconomic status students.

Compared to nearby schools, Briarcliff Elementary performs better than Reedy Creek Elementary and Swift Creek Elementary in terms of student proficiency, but lags behind the higher-performing Laurel Park Elementary and Farmington Woods Elementary. The school's overall performance has been variable, and it may benefit from comparing its practices and strategies to those of the higher-performing schools to identify opportunities for improvement.

486

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,299

Per pupil spending ?

43%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1220 Pond St
Cary, NC 27511-4418

(919) 460-3443

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Briarcliff Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Reedy Creek Middle
High:	Cary High
	Wake Early College of Health and Science
	Wake STEM Early College High School
	Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
	More...
	Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.6%

Hispanic:

24.1%

Asian:

8.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Briarcliff Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg66%

North Carolina avg57%

645^th of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 22 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

73^rd of 115Elementary Schools in the Wake County Schools

60^th of 242Wake County 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
2025	55.4	645 of 1490	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	440 of 1505	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	303 of 1502	79.8%	★★★★☆
2022	88.0	130 of 1514	91.4%	★★★★★
2021	62.6	526 of 1489	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.4	254 of 1473	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.0	365 of 1434	74.5%	★★★★☆
2017	77.0	283 of 1429	80.2%	★★★★☆
2016	76.0	293 of 1425	79.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.1	301 of 1440	79.1%	★★★★☆
2014	85.0	170 of 1390	87.8%	★★★★☆
2013	84.2	171 of 1403	87.8%	★★★★☆
2012	84.9	114 of 1388	91.8%	★★★★★
2011	82.1	164 of 1381	88.1%	★★★★☆
2010	83.4	141 of 1363	89.7%	★★★★☆
2009	80.2	200 of 1354	85.2%	★★★★☆
2008	69.8	353 of 1324	73.3%	★★★★☆
2007	65.0	444 of 1293	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.0	480 of 1276	62.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	74.9	149 of 949	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	66.9	235 of 927	74.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	91.2	31 of 878	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	85.5	61 of 897	93.2%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	11.1	554 of 563	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	63.3	101 of 485	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	42.9	178 of 385	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.6	183 of 497	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	100 of 421	76.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	737 of 1451	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.4	622 of 1455	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	550 of 1459	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	86.3	139 of 1458	90.5%	★★★★★
2021	64.7	438 of 1440	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.6	219 of 1424	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	64.8	484 of 1405	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	58.6	361 of 710	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.6	565 of 669	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.7	411 of 582	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	69.7	79 of 500	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	51.9	433 of 612	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	10.2	944 of 961	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.0	908 of 951	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	641 of 915	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.7	317 of 893	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.8	475 of 843	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.8	373 of 865	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.5	479 of 851	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.2	1312 of 1437	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	1220 of 1450	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.4	712 of 1437	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.8	183 of 1366	86.6%	★★★★☆
2021	55.0	495 of 1329	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.7	456 of 1361	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.5	578 of 1332	56.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	557 of 1450	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.7	324 of 1464	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.7	206 of 1461	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	85.6	158 of 1464	89.2%	★★★★☆
2021	57.7	580 of 1444	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.2	299 of 1430	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	252 of 1413	82.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	73.5	276 of 1172	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.2	221 of 1166	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	153 of 1183	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	88.2	72 of 1194	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	62.2	413 of 1172	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	84.1	123 of 1183	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	138 of 1178	88.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2019)96th percentile+14 vs school

African American (2019)84th percentile~ school

White (2025)76th percentile+20 vs school

Male (2025)62nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)49th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)49th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile-48 vs school

Hispanic (2025)2nd percentile-55 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)2nd percentile-55 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Reading60%+7 vs state

Science58%-4 vs state

Mathematics56%-4 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

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3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Friday, January 29, 2016

I have worked at the front desk at Briarcliff Elementary since 1999. Briarcliff is impressive, inviting, genuine, warm. A HAPPY, loving school!

The teaching staff is just amazing & first rate! EVERY SINGLE person who works here is sensational! The ENTIRE staff the best there is! Encouraging, kind, supportive, nurturing, going above & beyond. We ALL truly CARE about our students and their families, we care about each other. Our students are incredible!

We are SO BLESSED to have wonderful parents & families. I feel so fortunate to work w/such a strong, respectful, inspiring and caring Staff. It takes a WHOLE school to educate a child. You will hear me I say "You will love this school!" Our kids and their families are so amazing! Our PTA is Top Notch!

I LOVE coming to work here each and every day. I truly LOVE my job!

It is a PLEASURE to work with such great people and have such remarkable students/families, an honor and privilege and I can not thank you enough. I am so proud of this school & of our outstanding students and their families and our staff.

Briarcliff is a lovely and much LOVED school. It is Cary's Best Kept Secret! We all are family here, when you attend Briarcliff, consider yourself our FAMILY. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, January 29, 2015

We have two boys at Briarcliff and couldn't be happier with their education. I know all Cary schools are good but Briarcliff is small (under 650 students) and that is 30% smaller than some Cary/Wake schools. Trust us it matters, not only do the principals know the kids by name but they know the parents too and that matter.
The entire staff is amazing from the classroom teachers to administration. The art teacher is truly amazing (as are all the specialists) her class room is like a museum. Like the real world Briarcliff is truly diverse and they have figured out how to capitalize on that. The PTA is very active (raised of $85,000 last year) and if you have kids at the school they will have plenty of opportunities to help. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, November 6, 2014

Briarcliff is like The Little Engine That Could. It's a small school, tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, that no one has heard of. However, it is a gem. Each child is taught to the level he or she needs to be appropriately challenged. The teachers have full control over their classrooms, and student behavior is outstanding. The administration is attentive, effective, and caring. The PTA is very active. There is a huge amount of parental support and involvement, including many parent-run before and after school clubs and activities, and an entirely parent-run tutoring and enrichment program. Do not let the school's Title 1 status mislead you. This school is excellent for all children lucky enough to attend. Close Quote

Schools Near Briarcliff Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	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
Briarcliff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1220 Pond St	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3443	486	32	15.0	43.0%	275 (56.6%)	39 (8.0%)	117 (24.1%)	40 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	55.4	645^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.7%		68.2	440^th of 1505 public elementary schools	70.8%	205	62.5	58.2	49.4				55.6	68.4	55.3				57.6		$10,299	$630	$9,670
Cary Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Kildaire Farm Road	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3455	477	32	14.7	42.6%	269 (56.4%)	52 (10.9%)	112 (23.5%)	19 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.0%)	79.9	246^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.5%		79.2	254^th of 1505 public elementary schools	83.1%	8	71.3	71.8	68.5				66.3	66.7	71.2				79.5		$10,015	$629	$9,386
Farmington Woods Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1413 Hampton Valley Rd	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 460-3469	648	47	13.8	31.0%	305 (47.1%)	63 (9.7%)	140 (21.6%)	102 (15.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.6%)	88.4	133^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	91.1%		89.2	126^th of 1505 public elementary schools	91.6%	7	82.2	72.2	78.3				67.3	78.4	75.7				81.7		$9,948	$469	$9,479
Adams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	805 Cary Towne Blvd	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 460-3431	655	52	12.6	61.2%	252 (38.5%)	116 (17.7%)	237 (36.2%)	21 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	24 (3.7%)	52.7	698^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.2%		61	565^th of 1505 public elementary schools	62.5%	133	68.1	62.1	55.7				46.9	55.3	49.5				59.4		$10,267	$952	$9,315
Kingswood Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	200 E. Johnson Street	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 460-3481	427	34	12.6	42.4%	123 (28.8%)	80 (18.7%)	116 (27.2%)	83 (19.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.9%)	66.7	452^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	69.7%		61.7	548^th of 1505 public elementary schools	63.6%	96	69.6	71.4	55.9				62.3	58.9	62.7				62.7		$11,660	$901	$10,759
Northwoods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8850 Chapel Hill Road	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3491	579	43	13.5	35.1%	179 (30.9%)	85 (14.7%)	117 (20.2%)	165 (28.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.5%)	77.3	289^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.6%		68.1	442^nd of 1505 public elementary schools	70.6%	153	77.3	69.7	66.7				62.9	74.2	64.2				65.4		$10,215	$549	$9,666
Weatherstone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Olde Weatherstone Way	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 380-6988	730	48	15.1	31.1%	294 (40.3%)	47 (6.4%)	184 (25.2%)	170 (23.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (4.7%)	79	263^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	82.3%		77.4	291^st of 1505 public elementary schools	80.7%	28	68.5	84.1	84.7				51.5	63.7	66.4				81.0		$8,983	$480	$8,503
Cardinal Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1020 St. Charles Place	Cary	27513	Wake County	Cardinal Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(919) 653-5000	584	13	45.1	47.4%	153 (26.2%)	198 (33.9%)	120 (20.5%)	68 (11.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.2%)	70.5	382^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	74.4%		59.1	600^th of 1505 public elementary schools	60.1%	218	71.4	66.7	67.8	66.0	75.5	58.7	44.6	70.8	67.8	63.8	67.9	78.3	63.8	76.1
Laurel Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2450 Laura Duncan Rd	Apex	27523	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 290-2333	694	47	14.7	12.7%	444 (64.0%)	35 (5.0%)	67 (9.7%)	96 (13.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.2%)	87.5	143^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	90.4%		91.6	94^th of 1505 public elementary schools	93.8%	49	74.8	79.7	76.4				62.6	81.2	76.4				82.1		$9,351	$452	$8,899
Reedy Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	940 Reedy Creek Road	Cary	27513	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 380-3660	605	44	13.6	67.4%	159 (26.3%)	218 (36.0%)	186 (30.7%)	23 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.6%)	48	779^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.7%		40.3	928^th of 1505 public elementary schools	38.3%	149	66.7	51.5	55.7				44.8	59.4	53.8				50.9		$10,097	$906	$9,191

Frequently Asked Questions about Briarcliff Elementary

Is Briarcliff Elementary a good school?

Briarcliff Elementary ranks 645^th of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Briarcliff Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 486 students attended Briarcliff Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Briarcliff Elementary?

Students at Briarcliff Elementary are 57% White, 24% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 8% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Briarcliff Elementary attend?

Students who attend Briarcliff Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Reedy Creek Middle
High : Cary High
High : Wake Early College of Health and Science
High : Wake STEM Early College High School
High : Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
High : Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy

What district is Briarcliff Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

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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.