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Wakefield High

Q: Is Wakefield High a good school?

Wakefield High ranks 286 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

286^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 57% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Wakefield High is a large traditional public high school in Raleigh, NC, serving 2,065 students in grades 9–12 near the Raleigh/Wake Forest border. Part of Wake County Schools, the school currently ranks 286th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (57th percentile), a mid-tier standing among traditional comprehensive high schools in its northern Wake County cluster.

The school's most impressive number is its 93.5% graduation rate, which tops the district average of 91.3% and the state average of 88.8%, and is the highest among nearby traditional high schools including Wake Forest High School (92.6%) and Heritage High (90.8%). But Wakefield also reports 29.8% chronic absenteeism, well above the district's 20.5% rate—a puzzling contrast that suggests many students miss significant instruction yet still earn diplomas on time. Math I is the clearest academic weak point, with only 30.7% of students scoring proficient versus the state average of 42.1%, while Biology, English II, and Math III scores all exceed state averages.

Wakefield's support for English Language Learner and Special Education students is a genuine strength—both subgroups rank in the 84th–85th percentile statewide—while effectiveness for low-income, Hispanic, Asian, and gifted students lags behind. Compared with nearby schools, Millbrook High is the closest academic peer, with similar demographics and attendance but lower graduation rates and weaker Math III scores. Heritage High, about three miles away, has much lower chronic absenteeism and slightly higher overall test scores, yet Wakefield beats it on Biology and graduation rate. Families weighing this northern Wake County cluster should see Wakefield as a mid-tier comprehensive school with strong on-time graduation, notable support for certain student groups, and real concerns around attendance and foundational math.

2,065

Students ?

19.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,642

Per pupil spending ?

36.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2200 Wakefield Pines Drive
Raleigh, NC 27614

(919) 562-3600

District: Wake County Schools

Feeder schools for Wakefield High:

Elementary:	Pleasant Union Elementary
	Wakefield Elementary
Middle:	Wakefield Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.2%

African American:

27.9%

Hispanic:

19.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Wakefield High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2016 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Above the North Carolina median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

!Math I scores 11 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg60%

286^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 20High Schools in the Wake County Schools

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	55.1	286 of 662	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.4	231 of 641	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	211 of 640	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	212 of 626	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	239 of 621	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.7	225 of 594	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.6	250 of 514	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	126 of 469	73.1%	★★★★☆
2017	57.1	149 of 476	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.1	128 of 507	74.8%	★★★★☆
2015	60.3	119 of 531	77.6%	★★★★☆
2014	64.6	93 of 451	79.4%	★★★★☆
2013	55.1	110 of 505	78.2%	★★★★☆
2012	59.9	149 of 502	70.3%	★★★★☆
2011	60.3	182 of 506	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.5	127 of 499	74.5%	★★★★☆
2009	70.9	66 of 490	86.5%	★★★★☆
2008	65.4	106 of 477	77.8%	★★★★☆
2007	70.6	74 of 453	83.7%	★★★★☆
2006	77.3	30 of 431	93.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	148 of 450	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.2	142 of 440	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.9	134 of 437	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.6	131 of 434	69.8%	★★★★☆
2022	57.0	132 of 430	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.2	75 of 364	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	44.4	149 of 369	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.9	75 of 359	79.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	66 of 103	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.2	60 of 106	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.3	65 of 101	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.9	45 of 98	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	57 of 91	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.1	52 of 83	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.1	40 of 89	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.1	19 of 77	75.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	54.1	102 of 330	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	148 of 334	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.1	85 of 364	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	28 of 349	92.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.6	47 of 289	83.7%	★★★★☆
2025	54.2	78 of 273	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	54.6	79 of 262	69.8%	★★★★☆
2023	68.4	35 of 226	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	38.2	80 of 156	48.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	67 of 124	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.4	81 of 173	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.1	31 of 147	78.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.4	273 of 629	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.4	249 of 610	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	202 of 602	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.3	224 of 588	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	238 of 594	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.7	138 of 475	70.9%	★★★★☆
2019	41.7	256 of 475	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.9	129 of 449	71.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	242 of 407	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	75.1	96 of 412	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.1	119 of 403	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	113 of 403	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	55.7	178 of 337	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.3	233 of 325	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	300 of 474	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.9	319 of 462	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.1	200 of 454	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.7	193 of 449	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.4	279 of 436	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.0	165 of 370	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.2	275 of 354	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.9	195 of 340	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	58.1	16 of 47	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.7	9 of 45	80.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	381 of 620	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.2	335 of 606	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.8	286 of 613	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.2	290 of 597	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.9	272 of 544	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.8	176 of 432	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.5	314 of 446	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.0	161 of 424	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	290 of 624	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.1	214 of 601	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.0	206 of 607	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.8	204 of 602	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.5	206 of 585	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.7	152 of 481	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.6	228 of 488	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.2	132 of 463	71.5%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	37.4	32 of 47	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	108 of 265	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	76.9	43 of 253	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.3	50 of 261	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	60.5	80 of 249	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	101 of 226	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.1	28 of 199	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	17.9	178 of 195	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	61.9	64 of 185	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.1	57 of 372	84.7%	★★★★☆
2025	75.0	35 of 352	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	51.2	118 of 349	66.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.0	211 of 551	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.2	150 of 542	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	78.3	124 of 553	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	131 of 537	75.6%	★★★★☆
2022	73.7	145 of 534	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	64.0	114 of 439	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.4	166 of 444	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.1	94 of 427	78.0%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)85th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)84th percentile+27 vs school

Disabled (2022)69th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)67th percentile+10 vs school

Homeless (2024)66th percentile~ school

White (2026)62nd percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)59th percentile~ school

Female (2026)57th percentile~ school

Male (2026)54th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)41st percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)37th percentile-20 vs school

Asian (2026)36th percentile-21 vs school

Military Connected (2022)32nd percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II74%+9 vs state

Math III74%+5 vs state

Biology65%+7 vs state

Math I31%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wakefield 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)	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	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wakefield High	Public	9-12	2200 Wakefield Pines Drive	Raleigh	27614	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-3600	2,065	106	19.5	36.1%	913 (44.2%)	577 (27.9%)	399 (19.3%)	93 (4.5%)	6 (0.3%)	6 (0.3%)	71 (3.4%)	55.1	286^th of 662 public high schools	56.8%		59.4	231^st of 641 public high schools	64.0%	55	65.1	74.0	30.7	73.8	$8,642	$337	$8,306
North Wake College and Career Academy	Public	9-12	931 Durham Rd	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8650	346	19	17.9	36.1%	122 (35.3%)	117 (33.8%)	75 (21.7%)	15 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.6%)	84.5	110^th of 662 public high schools	83.4%		86.6	100^th of 641 public high schools	84.4%	10	84.1	82.4	76.7	94.1	$13,377	$439	$12,939
Heritage High	Public	9-12	1150 Forestville Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 570-5600	1,778	97	18.2	27.7%	950 (53.4%)	257 (14.5%)	418 (23.5%)	86 (4.8%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	62 (3.5%)	59.8	256^th of 662 public high schools	61.3%		66	198^th of 641 public high schools	69.1%	58	64.6	75.7	35.8	78.7	$8,792	$487	$8,305
Wake Forest High School	Public	9-12	420 West Stadium Drive	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 554-8611	2,043	109	18.8	30.4%	1,052 (51.5%)	473 (23.2%)	360 (17.6%)	71 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.2%)	82 (4.0%)	59	262^nd of 662 public high schools	60.4%		63.8	207^th of 641 public high schools	67.7%	55	70.0	72.5	33.8	77.1	$8,011	$375	$7,637
Millbrook High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2201 Spring Forest Rd	Raleigh	27615	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 850-8787	2,498	137	18.2	33.3%	1,188 (47.6%)	572 (22.9%)	552 (22.1%)	85 (3.4%)	6 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	91 (3.6%)	53.2	301^st of 662 public high schools	54.5%		59.3	232^nd of 641 public high schools	63.8%	69	67.3	75.2	33.2	66.1	$8,648	$382	$8,265
Sanderson High	Public	9-12	5500 Dixon Drive	Raleigh	27609	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 881-4800	1,648	91	18.0	43.4%	779 (47.3%)	384 (23.3%)	349 (21.2%)	55 (3.3%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	76 (4.6%)	43.1	383^rd of 662 public high schools	42.1%		35.3	411^th of 641 public high schools	35.9%	28	54.5	68.2	29.8	64.3	$8,965	$528	$8,437
Rolesville High	Public	9-12	1099 East Young St	Rolesville	27571	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 554-6303	2,321	126	18.4	50.6%	594 (25.6%)	859 (37.0%)	663 (28.6%)	107 (4.6%)	8 (0.3%)	4 (0.2%)	86 (3.7%)	23.8	529^th of 662 public high schools	20.1%		30.1	447^th of 641 public high schools	30.3%	82	39.3	58.7	19.6	50.9	$8,260	$382	$7,877
Leesville Road High	Public	9-12	8410 Pride Way	Raleigh	27613	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 870-4250	2,411	123	19.6	24.5%	1,364 (56.6%)	486 (20.2%)	343 (14.2%)	132 (5.5%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	81 (3.4%)	76.6	155^th of 662 public high schools	76.6%		71.1	174^th of 641 public high schools	72.9%	19	80.4	78.2	62.3	86.4	$8,133	$353	$7,780
Ncvps	Public, Virtual	7-12	343 E. Six Forks Road Suite 1	Raleigh	27609	Wake County	North Carolina Virtual Public School	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 513-8550	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Knightdale High	Public	9-12	100 Bryan Chalk Lane	Knightdale	27545	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 217-5350	1,695	105	16.1	66.9%	173 (10.2%)	763 (45.0%)	649 (38.3%)	54 (3.2%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	52 (3.1%)	23.8	531^st of 662 public high schools	19.8%		18.1	536^th of 641 public high schools	16.4%	5	40.9	54.7	27.9	50.4	$9,100	$534	$8,566

Frequently Asked Questions about Wakefield High

What schools feed into Wakefield High?

Wakefield High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pleasant Union Elementary
Elementary : Wakefield Elementary
Middle : Wakefield Middle

What district is Wakefield High in?

Wake County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Wakefield High?

Students at Wakefield High are 44% White, 28% African American, 19% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Wakefield High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,065 students attended Wakefield High.

Is Wakefield High a good school?

Wakefield High ranks 286^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Wakefield High!

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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.