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Northwoods Elementary

Q: Is Northwoods Elementary a good school?

Northwoods Elementary ranks 349 th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

349^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Northwoods Elementary in Cary, NC, serves 579 students in grades PK-5 and holds a 4-star rating within the highly regarded Wake County Schools district. Overall, Northwoods is a solid, above-average school, landing in the 77th percentile statewide (349th out of 1,492 elementary schools) in its most recent ranking. This places it in a distinct middle tier among nearby elementaries. It clearly outperforms its closest neighbor, Kingswood Elementary, leading it by wide margins in reading, math, and science despite serving a similar community. However, it trails several higher-performing peers in the area, including Farmington Woods Elementary, Cary Elementary, and Laurel Park Elementary.

This above-average rating actually undersells several of the standout strengths at Northwoods. The school achieves exceptional results for student groups that often struggle elsewhere, ranking in the 91st percentile statewide for English Learner students and the 92nd percentile for special education students in recent years. Science instruction is another clear strength, with fifth-grade proficiency rates consistently beating district and state averages. The school also benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5, and chronic absenteeism, at 16.9%, is significantly lower than the district and state averages, having improved steadily since the 2022-2023 school year.

While the average outcomes are strong, state data indicates that achievement is uneven across all student groups. For example, the school’s ranking for gifted students sits in the 15th percentile, and its ranking for students from low-income households trails the schoolwide average—signals that some high-achieving and vulnerable populations may not be receiving the same level of challenge and support as their peers. Additionally, demographics only tell part of the story. Nearby Cary Elementary has a higher free/reduced lunch rate yet posts stronger overall rankings, suggesting programmatic or instructional differences are at play. To break into the top cluster of Cary-area elementaries, reducing chronic absenteeism further (top peers are in the 7-13% range) and stabilizing third-grade reading scores, which have fluctuated notably in recent years, may be the clearest levers for improvement.

579

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

35.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8850 Chapel Hill Road
Cary, NC 27513

(919) 460-3491

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Northwoods Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	West Cary 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:

30.9%

Asian:

28.5%

Hispanic:

20.2%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Northwoods Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (70% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg70%

North Carolina avg61%

349^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary 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	73.7	349 of 1492	76.6%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	289 of 1490	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	68.1	442 of 1505	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	304 of 1502	79.8%	★★★★☆
2022	82.0	223 of 1514	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	82.5	211 of 1489	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	361 of 1473	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	248 of 1434	82.7%	★★★★☆
2017	77.4	273 of 1429	80.9%	★★★★☆
2016	65.5	467 of 1425	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.3	410 of 1440	71.5%	★★★★☆
2014	69.8	396 of 1390	71.5%	★★★★☆
2013	80.3	224 of 1403	84.0%	★★★★☆
2012	77.8	248 of 1388	82.1%	★★★★☆
2011	67.0	469 of 1381	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.4	521 of 1363	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.7	323 of 1354	76.1%	★★★★☆
2008	73.0	297 of 1324	77.6%	★★★★☆
2007	72.7	298 of 1293	77.0%	★★★★☆
2006	69.9	339 of 1276	73.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.8	688 of 903	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.8	712 of 918	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.4	436 of 924	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.3	359 of 933	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.8	225 of 927	75.7%	★★★★☆
2019	78.8	117 of 949	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.5	55 of 927	94.1%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	98 of 134	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	56.1	76 of 131	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	87 of 130	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	67 of 114	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.3	66 of 107	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.9	67 of 95	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.4	76 of 106	28.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	67.5	48 of 99	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	62.6	148 of 634	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	53.0	322 of 878	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.2	190 of 897	78.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.4	49 of 519	90.6%	★★★★★
2025	87.7	35 of 563	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	74.7	75 of 533	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	85.6	38 of 514	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	89.3	27 of 485	94.4%	★★★★★
2021	79.0	29 of 385	92.5%	★★★★★
2019	75.1	61 of 497	87.7%	★★★★☆
2018	87.9	23 of 421	94.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	348 of 1447	76.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.2	310 of 1451	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	470 of 1455	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.6	220 of 1459	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	80.0	224 of 1458	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	80.9	209 of 1440	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	68.1	423 of 1424	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.9	277 of 1405	80.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	630 of 743	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	49.0	509 of 710	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.4	531 of 669	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	69.5	13 of 582	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	47.6	382 of 500	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	68.8	126 of 494	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	57.4	337 of 612	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	271 of 981	72.4%	★★★★☆
2025	65.5	261 of 961	72.8%	★★★★☆
2024	34.0	676 of 951	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	61.7	277 of 915	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	394 of 893	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.0	472 of 843	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.8	503 of 865	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.1	420 of 851	50.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.5	797 of 1434	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	724 of 1437	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.2	1076 of 1450	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.9	726 of 1437	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.2	538 of 1366	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.9	612 of 1329	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	573 of 1361	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.7	316 of 1332	76.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.8	326 of 1451	77.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.3	252 of 1450	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	69.1	401 of 1464	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	390 of 1461	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	221 of 1464	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.9	236 of 1444	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.4	315 of 1430	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	278 of 1413	80.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	81.1	68 of 801	91.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	341 of 1146	70.2%	★★★★☆
2025	67.6	351 of 1172	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	394 of 1166	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.4	412 of 1183	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	79.0	202 of 1194	83.1%	★★★★☆
2021	88.9	70 of 1172	94.0%	★★★★★
2019	82.9	147 of 1183	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	84.1	131 of 1178	88.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2024)92nd percentile+21 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)91st percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)77th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)76th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)72nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile-32 vs school

Asian (2026)27th percentile-50 vs school

African American (2026)24th percentile-53 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)15th percentile-61 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science76%+8 vs state

Mathematics70%+7 vs state

Reading68%+11 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Communication needs to improve - very inconsistent on how important details communicated. Sometimes it’s a newsletter, sometimes the website, sometimes the PTA site, sometimes an email or voicemail, or maybe you have to read through Facebook posts and comments to find out critical information. Only time communication is really good is when the school is fundraising. Very frustrating when you have to spend so much time trying to find important de for school events, etc. The administration should be the ones verifying that this information is readily available to all- not just the PTA members. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, January 26, 2017

excellent school Close Quote

Schools Near Northwoods Elementary

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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 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
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%)	73.7	349^th of 1492 public elementary schools	76.6%		77.3	289^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.6%	60	68.8	72.0	70.5				64.5	67.1	71.6				76.1		$10,215	$549	$9,666
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%)	60.3	570^th of 1492 public elementary schools	61.8%		70.5	382^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	74.4%	188	82.1	63.6	61.8	66.7	47.4	64.1	64.1	54.5	60.0	60.6	56.4	68.4	58.2	84.6
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%)	60.2	571^st of 1492 public elementary schools	61.7%		66.7	452^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	69.7%	119	60.8	70.1	67.2				55.7	59.7	63.8				70.7		$11,660	$901	$10,759
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%)	80.7	236^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.2%		79.9	246^th of 1490 public elementary schools	83.5%	10	71.6	80.0	71.3				74.3	81.3	73.8				72.5		$10,015	$629	$9,386
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%)	83.5	199^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.7%		79	263^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	82.3%	64	70.0	88.8	91.3				59.1	76.0	72.8				86.4		$8,983	$480	$8,503
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%)	47.2	780^th of 1492 public elementary schools	47.7%		48	779^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.7%	1	68.8	55.2	57.0				57.0	53.4	55.0				59.0		$10,097	$906	$9,191
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%)	55.8	644^th of 1492 public elementary schools	56.8%		55.4	645^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.7%	1	64.4	67.1	59.5				63.2	61.8	57.6				58.8		$10,299	$630	$9,670
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%)	45	824^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.8%		52.7	698^th of 1490 public elementary schools	53.2%	126	54.4	56.1	66.7				45.6	53.3	57.6				65.7		$10,267	$952	$9,315
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%)	81	230^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.6%		88.4	133^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	91.1%	97	76.0	78.5	74.7				69.0	71.0	73.7				75.8		$9,948	$469	$9,479
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%)	90.8	102^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.2%		87.5	143^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	90.4%	41	82.4	79.1	84.7				78.4	79.1	80.3				87.0		$9,351	$452	$8,899

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwoods Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Northwoods Elementary?

Students at Northwoods Elementary are 31% White, 28% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 15% African American, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Northwoods Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 579 students attended Northwoods Elementary.

Is Northwoods Elementary a good school?

Northwoods Elementary ranks 349^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwoods Elementary in?

Wake County Schools

What schools do graduates of Northwoods Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northwoods Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Cary 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

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresNewSep 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.