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Ligon Middle

Q: Is Ligon Middle a good school?

Ligon Middle ranks 206 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

206^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 74% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Ligon Middle is a 6–8 public school in downtown Raleigh serving 959 students and is part of Wake County Schools, a 4-star district. Ligon currently holds a 4-star rating and ranks 206th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools (74th percentile) — a solid result overall, but a clear step down from its 5-star performance in 2020–21 and its top-100 statewide rankings in the years that followed.

Academically, Ligon shows a clear split: reading and science are strengths, especially in the upper grades where the school meets or exceeds the Wake County average. Math is the main concern, as every grade level’s math proficiency falls below the district average. For example, 8th grade math sits at 58.4% proficient, compared to 72.5% at Moore Square Middle and 67.3% at Carnage Middle — two nearby schools with very similar grade spans and economic profiles. Reading gaps are also large in 6th and 8th grades. Yet Ligon’s attendance culture is a major bright spot: only 11.1% of students are chronically absent, less than half the state rate and the lowest among all neighboring middle schools, including higher-ranked schools like Moore Square and Martin Middle.

The most striking insight is the internal equity gap. Ligon serves roughly 34.5% of students through free/reduced-price lunch — a moderate economic profile compared to surrounding schools — but its economically disadvantaged students rank in the 11th percentile statewide, while the school overall sits in the 74th. English learners are also in the 24th percentile, and these vulnerable subgroups have seen the steepest declines over the past three years. In short, Ligon is no longer matching the performance of its nearest high-achieving peers, and its recent downward trend is not equally distributed across all students. Attendance data suggests the school environment remains strong, but the academic slide — especially in math — will be the key issue for parents to watch in the coming years.

959

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

34.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

706 E Lenoir St
Raleigh, NC 27601-2029

(919) 856-7929

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Ligon Middle usually attend:

High:	Enloe 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

Feeder schools for Ligon Middle:

Elementary:	Fuller Elementary
	Hunter Elementary
	Washington Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.4%

African American:

31.6%

Hispanic:

12.2%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Ligon Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 78th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (66% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the North Carolina median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school66%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg58%

206^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 26%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

60^th of 246Wake 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
2026	70.4	206 of 778	73.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.3	160 of 773	79.3%	★★★★☆
2024	84.3	101 of 793	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	85.6	97 of 784	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	85.0	97 of 786	87.7%	★★★★☆
2021	87.7	66 of 741	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	75.4	156 of 737	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	108 of 691	84.4%	★★★★☆
2017	76.1	140 of 694	79.8%	★★★★☆
2016	73.7	155 of 692	77.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.8	134 of 705	81.0%	★★★★☆
2014	82.6	88 of 627	86.0%	★★★★☆
2013	90.2	52 of 673	92.3%	★★★★★
2012	74.7	151 of 662	77.2%	★★★★☆
2011	71.1	184 of 648	71.6%	★★★★☆
2010	70.7	182 of 640	71.6%	★★★★☆
2009	71.1	179 of 630	71.6%	★★★★☆
2008	82.7	71 of 620	88.5%	★★★★☆
2007	80.1	70 of 606	88.4%	★★★★☆
2006	82.5	56 of 598	90.6%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.0	318 of 553	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.0	234 of 546	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.9	153 of 560	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	42.7	300 of 559	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.1	285 of 550	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.5	181 of 533	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.8	371 of 519	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.6	194 of 494	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	37 of 121	69.4%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	27 of 111	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	38 of 110	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	83.9	11 of 110	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	81.0	25 of 109	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.4	7 of 99	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	85.7	8 of 95	91.6%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	68.5	64 of 449	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	49.2	194 of 478	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.6	288 of 504	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.0	98 of 475	79.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	277 of 363	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.7	286 of 371	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	260 of 356	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	254 of 318	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	301 of 312	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	35.6	154 of 236	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	181 of 731	75.2%	★★★★☆
2025	76.7	150 of 733	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	82.6	104 of 738	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	82.7	104 of 731	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.2	121 of 733	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	87.7	60 of 706	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	70.6	180 of 684	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	75.9	137 of 656	79.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.7	281 of 465	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.6	304 of 458	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.9	123 of 461	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	93 of 452	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	62 of 450	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	73.5	68 of 448	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	117 of 416	71.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	352 of 566	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.7	404 of 562	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.7	342 of 564	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.2	310 of 553	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	266 of 541	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	229 of 522	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	19.4	445 of 493	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	421 of 472	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.0	54 of 59	8.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.8	42 of 50	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	37 of 37	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.2	12 of 12	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.9	646 of 725	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.1	602 of 729	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.7	520 of 743	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.7	655 of 735	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	608 of 689	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.4	455 of 633	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.6	595 of 639	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.5	500 of 604	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.8	241 of 736	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.4	168 of 733	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	90 of 751	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	86.3	81 of 747	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	86.8	77 of 748	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	85.7	77 of 711	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	76.9	135 of 697	80.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	73 of 665	89.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	89 of 333	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	80.2	47 of 328	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	39 of 306	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	97.7	4 of 302	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	98.3	2 of 283	99.3%	★★★★★
2021	95.6	6 of 248	97.6%	★★★★★
2019	95.7	3 of 237	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	97.0	1 of 221	99.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	219 of 500	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.3	87 of 478	81.8%	★★★★☆
2024	68.8	69 of 473	85.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	51 of 644	92.1%	★★★★★
2025	91.0	40 of 649	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	95.3	10 of 652	98.5%	★★★★★
2023	96.6	7 of 656	98.9%	★★★★★
2022	96.7	8 of 658	98.8%	★★★★★
2021	97.9	5 of 632	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	95.0	13 of 624	97.9%	★★★★★
2018	96.3	7 of 596	98.8%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)92nd percentile+19 vs school

Disabled (2022)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)75th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)73rd percentile~ school

Asian (2026)69th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)56th percentile-17 vs school

African American (2026)42nd percentile-31 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)40th percentile-34 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile-36 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)24th percentile-50 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-63 vs school

Homeless (2026)8th percentile-65 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science78%+10 vs state

Reading66%+11 vs state

Mathematics61%+5 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, May 29, 2022

We were enrolled at this school because of the magnet system. It was not our first choice as we were trying to get into one of the better charter schools in the area. We were not alone in this venture as our child ended up in the triple digits on the waiting list for everyone single charter school in the county. Every single one. We were unable to attend the open house, and asked 5 times via email and through phone calls if we could arrange a tour of the campus and an opportunity to meet the teaching staff. The magnet coordinator refused our requests and it was only when we cc'd the principal that we got a response. This could have solved the problem, however, the 'tour' was after hours and two hours after every single teacher had gone home. Not one single member of the instructional staff was there to greet us or answer questions. The principal is clueless on teaching pedagogy and could not address one single question about class material nor teaching principles. Since we felt grossly patronized by the principal's lack of empathy to help us evaluate the school, we withdrew our child and enrolled her at Thales Academy. This school is typical of the 'Woke County' mentality where schools must think they know better than parents. If you can get your child in any other school, for their benefit, then do so. Woke County's public school system is in the toilet and the children are going to be the ones to suffer. Close Quote

Schools Near Ligon Middle

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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)				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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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	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
Ligon Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	706 E Lenoir St	Raleigh	27601	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7929	959	63	15.1	34.5%	435 (45.4%)	303 (31.6%)	117 (12.2%)	58 (6.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.6%)	70.4	206^th of 778 public middle schools	73.5%		76.3	160^th of 773 public middle schools	79.3%	46	60.1	64.0	58.4	64.2	68.3	66.5	78.2	$8,934	$336	$8,597
Moore Square Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	301 South Person Street	Raleigh	27601	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 664-5737	594	47	12.7	29.0%	297 (50.0%)	169 (28.5%)	72 (12.1%)	20 (3.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.4%)	85.8	84^th of 778 public middle schools	89.2%		86.5	81^st of 773 public middle schools	89.5%	3	77.2	68.2	72.5	77.3	74.1	78.1	82.4	$11,326	$607	$10,719
Carnage Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1425 Carnage Dr	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7600	924	61	15.0	30.8%	77 (8.3%)	227 (24.6%)	79 (8.5%)	514 (55.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (2.5%)	80.9	120^th of 778 public middle schools	84.6%		86.3	83^rd of 773 public middle schools	89.3%	37	76.3	72.3	67.3	71.2	74.9	71.6	71.6	$9,215	$431	$8,784
Oberlin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2816 Oberlin Rd	Raleigh	27608	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 881-4860	1,049	69	15.1	30.1%	594 (56.6%)	192 (18.3%)	185 (17.6%)	34 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (4.0%)	78.6	142^nd of 778 public middle schools	81.7%		80.5	132^nd of 773 public middle schools	82.9%	10	74.5	67.3	63.7	71.1	68.9	66.9	79.8	$8,583	$379	$8,204
Centennial Campus Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1900 Main Campus Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 233-4217	477	37	12.9	99.4%	69 (14.5%)	231 (48.4%)	150 (31.4%)	14 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)	22.4	631^st of 778 public middle schools	18.9%		17.5	667^th of 773 public middle schools	13.7%	36	41.7	44.4	33.3	40.6	46.4	37.8	48.9	$11,386	$725	$10,660
North Garner Middle	Public	6-8	720 Powell Dr	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 662-2434	831	54	15.5	99.6%	248 (29.8%)	265 (31.9%)	267 (32.1%)	14 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.5%)	28.8	569^th of 778 public middle schools	26.9%		28.6	560^th of 773 public middle schools	27.6%	9	44.6	43.5	37.5	46.5	44.9	41.6	61.7	$9,338	$475	$8,863
River Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	4700 New Bern Ave	Raleigh	27610	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 231-5600	7	19	.3		1 (14.3%)	5 (71.4%)	1 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)								$33,564	$1,102	$32,462
Martin Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1701 Ridge Rd	Raleigh	27607	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 881-4970	1,011	61	16.6	29.6%	454 (44.9%)	174 (17.2%)	150 (14.8%)	205 (20.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.5%)	85	92^nd of 778 public middle schools	88.2%		84.8	96^th of 773 public middle schools	87.6%	4	76.6	77.8	65.8	73.4	78.7	73.6	79.3	$9,504	$524	$8,981
Carroll Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4520 Six Forks Rd	Raleigh	27609	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 881-1370	898	61	14.8	61.1%	286 (31.8%)	277 (30.8%)	274 (30.5%)	15 (1.7%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.7%)	44.1	441^st of 778 public middle schools	43.3%		36.1	505^th of 773 public middle schools	34.7%	64	53.5	53.2	39.1	50.5	54.1	51.5	70.0	$9,352	$593	$8,759
East Garner Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	6301 Jones Sausage Rd	Garner	27529	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 662-2339	1,109	71	15.6	99.7%	148 (13.3%)	514 (46.3%)	355 (32.0%)	51 (4.6%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	34 (3.1%)	28.5	575^th of 778 public middle schools	26.1%		34.1	516^th of 773 public middle schools	33.2%	59	47.8	40.5	39.3	45.5	46.9	42.2	57.4	$8,808	$540	$8,269

Frequently Asked Questions about Ligon Middle

Is Ligon Middle a good school?

Ligon Middle ranks 206^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Ligon Middle in?

Wake County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Ligon Middle?

Students at Ligon Middle are 45% White, 32% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Ligon Middle attend?

Students who attend Ligon Middle usually go on to attend Enloe High

How many students attend Ligon Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 959 students attended Ligon Middle.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.