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Middle Creek High

Q: Is Middle Creek High a good school?

Middle Creek High ranks 281 st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

281^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 58% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Middle Creek High is a comprehensive public high school in Apex, NC, serving about 1,587 students in grades 9–12 as part of Wake County Schools. The school's standout strength is its graduation rate of 94.9%, which exceeds the district rate of 91.3%, the state rate of 88.8%, and several nearby schools such as Cary High and Athens Drive High. For families focused on whether their child will finish high school on time, Middle Creek is a dependable option in a strong Wake County area.

Academics, however, tell a more mixed story. Middle Creek currently ranks #281 of 662 high schools statewide (58th percentile), a significant step down from its 4-star standing in the mid-2010s. Its clearest academic weakness is Math III, where 68.8% of students are proficient—far below the district average of 76.4% and trailing every nearby traditional high school, including Holly Springs High (88.1%), Fuquay-Varina High (83.3%), Apex High (76.7%), and Willow Spring High (71.7%). Chronic absenteeism is also a concern: roughly 24% of students missed substantial instructional time in 2024–2025, above the district rate of 20.5% and well above Holly Springs, Apex, and Willow Spring. English II and Biology proficiency are much closer to district averages, suggesting math is the subject that most needs attention.

Equity is the school's most urgent challenge. While military-connected students rank in the 89th percentile statewide, outcomes for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and low-income students sit in the 17th–20th percentile range, and these gaps have persisted for multiple years. In short, Middle Creek is a high-graduation school wrestling with mid-tier test scores, elevated absenteeism, and meaningful opportunity gaps. The most promising levers for improvement are math proficiency, attendance, and ensuring that support systems reach every student population consistently.

1,587

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,441

Per pupil spending ?

29.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

123 Middle Creek Park Avenue
Apex, NC 27539

(919) 773-3838

District: Wake County Schools

Feeder schools for Middle Creek High:

Elementary:	Middle Creek Elementary
	Smith Elementary
	West Lake Elementary
	Yates Mill Elementary
Middle:	West Lake Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.3%

Hispanic:

22.7%

African American:

12.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Middle Creek High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (65% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (89%)

✓Above the North Carolina median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg60%

281^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 26 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^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	55.8	281 of 662	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.0	219 of 641	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	239 of 640	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.4	210 of 626	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.2	217 of 621	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.7	269 of 594	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.9	135 of 514	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	69.3	102 of 469	78.3%	★★★★☆
2017	69.7	80 of 476	83.2%	★★★★☆
2016	67.3	82 of 507	83.8%	★★★★☆
2015	72.5	70 of 531	86.8%	★★★★☆
2014	77.3	39 of 451	91.4%	★★★★★
2013	69.3	44 of 505	91.3%	★★★★★
2012	72.3	53 of 502	89.4%	★★★★☆
2011	60.7	175 of 506	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.5	151 of 499	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	71.1	62 of 490	87.3%	★★★★☆
2008	67.9	84 of 477	82.4%	★★★★☆
2007	58.4	156 of 453	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.7	125 of 431	71.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	261 of 450	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.5	155 of 440	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	188 of 437	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.2	239 of 434	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.5	185 of 430	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.2	149 of 364	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.3	174 of 369	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.4	114 of 359	68.2%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	74 of 103	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	81.5	22 of 106	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	67.0	33 of 98	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.9	59 of 91	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.4	42 of 83	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.2	52 of 89	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	48 of 77	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	59.1	83 of 330	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	57.2	89 of 334	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	56.7	106 of 364	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	63.2	73 of 349	79.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	241 of 289	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.4	240 of 273	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.3	198 of 262	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.8	108 of 226	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.6	12 of 156	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	40.1	65 of 124	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.9	110 of 173	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.8	89 of 147	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	292 of 629	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.7	231 of 610	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	272 of 602	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	222 of 588	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.2	209 of 594	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.7	194 of 475	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.8	134 of 475	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	111 of 449	75.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.5	147 of 407	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.0	153 of 412	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.1	89 of 403	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.4	80 of 403	80.1%	★★★★☆
2021	57.9	167 of 337	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.3	380 of 474	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.3	399 of 462	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.5	380 of 454	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.8	279 of 449	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	242 of 436	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.5	290 of 370	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	227 of 354	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.5	165 of 340	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	23.2	513 of 620	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.7	455 of 606	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	413 of 613	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.6	439 of 597	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.9	342 of 544	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.6	282 of 432	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.6	304 of 446	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.8	278 of 424	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	263 of 624	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.2	201 of 601	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.2	203 of 607	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.7	205 of 602	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	200 of 585	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.0	179 of 481	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.6	130 of 488	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	96 of 463	79.3%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.6	8 of 70	88.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.7	139 of 265	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	70.5	58 of 253	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	70.1	63 of 261	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.0	39 of 249	84.3%	★★★★☆
2022	41.8	126 of 226	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	71.9	43 of 199	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.2	39 of 195	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	66.6	57 of 185	69.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	214 of 372	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	65.9	57 of 352	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	53.8	107 of 349	69.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	186 of 551	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.0	154 of 542	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	144 of 553	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	144 of 537	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	150 of 534	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	56.6	147 of 439	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.1	69 of 444	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	37 of 427	91.3%	★★★★★

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)

Military Connected (2026)89th percentile+31 vs school

Disabled (2022)75th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)66th percentile+9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)64th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile~ school

Female (2026)54th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)48th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2026)42nd percentile-15 vs school

African American (2026)42nd percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2026)28th percentile-29 vs school

Hispanic (2026)20th percentile-38 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile-40 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)17th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English II73%+9 vs state

Math III69%~ state avg

Biology68%+10 vs state

Math I38%-4 vs state

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, August 12, 2015

great school!! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, November 30, 2013

Middle Creek is an excellent college preparatory High School. It's diverse course offerings give students the opportunity to explore their strengths, interests and weaknesses. The teachers have a clear understanding of the rigors of higher level learning. They push the students to stretch and attain higher levels. The school has also created a friendly, involved student body. Every student has the opportunity to be involved in sports and clubs. The friendliness of all staff, creates a friendly welcoming learning environment. With one child now a sophomore in college and another still at MCHS, we could not be more pleased to support MCHS! Go Mustangs!! Close Quote

by a citizen
Thursday, November 18, 2010

I graduated from Middle Creek High School this past year. I am now attending Elon University and I believe that Middle Creek has more than prepared me to receive an excellent college education and to someday go on to graduate school. The teachers are wonderful, there is a plethora of extra-curricular activities for students to get involved in, the social setting is very peaceful and welcoming, but my favorite aspect of the school was Principal John Williams. He is a great man who cares so much for his school and takes interest in the students. He really wants to see each student succeed and to have a good life. I love him and I love Middle Creek. I'm proud to call myself an alumnus. Close Quote

Schools Near Middle Creek 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/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	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
Middle Creek High	Public	9-12	123 Middle Creek Park Avenue	Apex	27539	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 773-3838	1,587	87	18.2	29.6%	925 (58.3%)	198 (12.5%)	360 (22.7%)	44 (2.8%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	52 (3.3%)	55.8	281^st of 662 public high schools	57.6%		62	219^th of 641 public high schools	65.8%	62	68.0	73.4	38.1	68.8								$8,441	$392	$8,048
Southern Wake Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	5108 Old Powell Rd	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Southern Wake Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 567-9955	534	36	14.7		351 (65.7%)	55 (10.3%)	59 (11.0%)	15 (2.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.7%)	10.7	600^th of 662 public high schools	9.4%		27	481^st of 641 public high schools	25.0%	119	33.3	45.8	10.9	29.2	38.9	32.2	22.6	41.7	55.9	49.2	54.1
Fuquay-Varina High	Public	9-12	201 Bengal Blvd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 557-2511	1,858	98	18.9	25.1%	1,073 (57.8%)	276 (14.9%)	313 (16.8%)	105 (5.7%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	83 (4.5%)	68.6	198^th of 662 public high schools	70.1%		57.2	250^th of 641 public high schools	61.0%	52	74.7	77.6	35.1	83.3								$8,243	$402	$7,841
Holly Springs High	Public	9-12	5329 Cass Holt Road	Holly Springs	27540	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 577-1444	2,018	103	19.6	13.8%	1,485 (73.6%)	156 (7.7%)	176 (8.7%)	120 (5.9%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	77 (3.8%)	83.3	120^th of 662 public high schools	81.9%		82.6	124^th of 641 public high schools	80.7%	4	87.5	86.5	65.2	88.1								$8,040	$403	$7,638
Wake STEM Early College High School	Public	9-12	2205 Walnut Street	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8130	294	15	20.2	35.7%	98 (33.3%)	40 (13.6%)	84 (28.6%)	60 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	93.1	31^st of 662 public high schools	95.3%		96.4	6^th of 641 public high schools	99.1%	25	362.2	564.9	95.0	100.0								$10,774	$232	$10,542
Crossroads FLEX	Public, Virtual	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(919) 694-8515	139	6	23.4	5.8%	95 (68.3%)	9 (6.5%)	13 (9.4%)	13 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.5%)	76.3	156^th of 662 public high schools	76.4%		92.5	56^th of 641 public high schools	91.3%	100	70.0	94.1	66.7	80.0								$9,819	$232	$9,587
SCORE Academy	Public	9-12	5651 Dillard Dr	Cary	27518	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8560	584	32	18.3	99.5%	164 (28.1%)	210 (36.0%)	174 (29.8%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.9%)	2	650^th of 662 public high schools	1.8%		2.7	633^rd of 641 public high schools	1.2%	17	10.0	19.6	537.5	540.3								$16,937	$337	$16,599
Willow Spring High	Public	9-12	1704 Old Honeycutt Rd	Fuquay Varina	27526	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 694-8030	2,223	110	20.2	28.7%	1,249 (56.2%)	319 (14.3%)	465 (20.9%)	99 (4.5%)	5 (0.2%)	6 (0.3%)	80 (3.6%)	62	242^nd of 662 public high schools	63.4%		58.2	240^th of 641 public high schools	62.6%	2	74.4	79.8	31.5	71.7
Apex High	Public	9-12	1501 Laura Duncan Road	Apex	27502	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 387-2208	2,449	123	19.9	22.5%	1,422 (58.1%)	230 (9.4%)	378 (15.4%)	311 (12.7%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	98 (4.0%)	69.4	190^th of 662 public high schools	71.3%		69.9	175^th of 641 public high schools	72.7%	15	76.4	85.9	38.8	76.7								$8,281	$390	$7,891
Cary High	Public	9-12	638 Walnut St	Cary	27511	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 460-3549	2,044	117	17.4	38.6%	879 (43.0%)	352 (17.2%)	597 (29.2%)	114 (5.6%)	6 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (4.6%)	56.2	279^th of 662 public high schools	57.9%		62.1	218^th of 641 public high schools	66.0%	61	63.3	71.0	33.5	81.0								$8,602	$403	$8,198

Frequently Asked Questions about Middle Creek High

What district is Middle Creek High in?

Wake County Schools

How many students attend Middle Creek High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,587 students attended Middle Creek High.

What schools feed into Middle Creek High?

Middle Creek High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Middle Creek Elementary
Elementary : Smith Elementary
Elementary : West Lake Elementary
Elementary : Yates Mill Elementary
Middle : West Lake Middle

What is the racial makeup of Middle Creek High?

Students at Middle Creek High are 58% White, 23% Hispanic, 12% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Middle Creek High a good school?

Middle Creek High ranks 281^st of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Middle Creek High!

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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.