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Wendell Middle

Q: Is Wendell Middle a good school?

Wendell Middle ranks 541 st of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Wendell Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 762 students attended Wendell Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Wendell Middle?

Students at Wendell Middle are 38% Hispanic, 36% African American, 18% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Wendell Middle attend?

Students who attend Wendell Middle usually go on to attend Wake Early College of Health and Science

Public Grades 6-8

541^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 30% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Wendell Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Wendell, NC, serving 762 students in the Wake County Schools district. The school has demonstrated meaningful academic improvement since the 2022–2023 school year, yet proficiency rates remain below district and state averages in nearly every grade and subject. The widest gap appears in 8th grade math, where only about one in three students is proficient compared with 64.4% across Wake County. Overall, Wendell ranked 541st of 778 middle schools statewide for 2025–2026, placing it in the bottom third of North Carolina middle schools.

Among nearby schools, it occupies a middle position. The school outperforms several high-poverty Wake County middle schools in the area, including East Millbrook Middle, River Bend Middle, and Neuse River Middle, and ranks similarly to Zebulon Middle. However, it trails several Johnston County schools serving similar student populations — most notably Archer Lodge Middle, which reports 59.2% proficiency in 8th grade math despite a nearly identical free/reduced lunch rate, and Riverwood Middle. This suggests school-level factors such as instruction, attendance, and interventions matter alongside poverty in shaping outcomes.

The school has shown notable progress, with 7th grade math proficiency climbing from 26.7% to 43.2% and the state rank improving from the 19th percentile to the 30th percentile since 2022–2023. Chronic absenteeism remains a concern at 27.7%, above the district rate but dramatically improved from 62.5% during the 2020–2021 school year. Special education services stand out as a relative strength, with this subgroup ranking at the 55th percentile statewide. Families should note that the reported free/reduced lunch rate of 99.61% likely reflects a shift in federal meal eligibility reporting rather than a sudden change in the community.

762

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

3409 NC Highway 97
Wendell, NC 27591

(919) 365-1667

District: Wake County Schools

Students who attend Wendell Middle usually attend:

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

Feeder schools for Wendell Middle:

Elementary:	Carver Elementary
	Forestville Road Elementary
	Knightdale Elementary
	Wendell Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.5%

African American:

36.0%

White:

17.7%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Wendell Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (47% vs 58% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg58%

541^st of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

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	31.3	541 of 778	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.3	578 of 773	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	527 of 793	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.9	637 of 784	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.0	528 of 786	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.3	515 of 741	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.8	558 of 737	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	515 of 691	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	28.2	514 of 694	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.9	472 of 692	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.2	471 of 705	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	27.1	463 of 627	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.7	445 of 673	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.1	392 of 662	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	48.1	404 of 648	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.1	397 of 640	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	60.6	296 of 630	53.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	339 of 553	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.4	266 of 546	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	271 of 560	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.1	318 of 559	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.3	238 of 550	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.2	230 of 533	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.8	288 of 519	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.6	349 of 494	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	1.7	110 of 110	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	32.7	290 of 449	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.6	124 of 478	74.1%	★★★★☆
2019	29.5	397 of 504	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	385 of 475	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.4	215 of 363	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.6	219 of 371	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	217 of 356	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.5	249 of 318	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	47.0	130 of 312	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.8	196 of 236	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	178 of 211	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	142 of 151	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	543 of 731	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.9	556 of 733	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.1	508 of 738	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.1	586 of 731	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	521 of 733	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.7	518 of 706	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.6	559 of 684	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	514 of 656	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.9	369 of 465	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.6	367 of 458	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.6	317 of 461	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.5	240 of 450	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	355 of 416	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	53.6	68 of 127	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	400 of 566	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.2	441 of 562	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.3	334 of 564	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.7	464 of 553	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.0	299 of 541	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.8	306 of 522	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.7	396 of 493	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	364 of 472	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.9	30 of 59	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	81.1	2 of 37	94.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.4	510 of 725	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.5	541 of 729	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.4	406 of 743	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.0	560 of 735	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.2	378 of 689	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.2	320 of 633	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.2	408 of 639	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.9	392 of 604	35.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.3	512 of 736	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	25.1	562 of 733	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.8	501 of 751	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.2	627 of 747	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.3	489 of 748	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.4	483 of 711	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.6	519 of 697	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.0	512 of 665	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	183 of 333	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.3	238 of 328	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.6	109 of 306	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.8	176 of 302	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.1	118 of 283	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.2	49 of 237	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	50.7	101 of 221	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.8	225 of 500	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.3	210 of 478	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.9	363 of 473	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.9	319 of 644	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.7	443 of 649	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	370 of 652	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.5	537 of 656	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.7	483 of 658	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.4	507 of 632	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.9	398 of 624	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	423 of 596	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)55th percentile+25 vs school

White (2026)50th percentile+20 vs school

Homeless (2026)49th percentile+19 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)45th percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)41st percentile+10 vs school

African American (2026)39th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2022)35th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)29th percentile~ school

Female (2026)26th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)21st percentile-10 vs school

Asian (2023)<1st percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science59%-9 vs state

Reading48%-8 vs state

Mathematics42%-14 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, June 17, 2019

I hope I get a good explanation for this school because U cant wait ti go there this year and I want to see if me and my brother is going to have fun. My last thing is SCHOOL SHOPPING I LOVE SCHOOL SHOPPING it's amazing because you can get shoes,clothes,and the school supplies. I cant wait to meet my teachers. Thank You. Bye Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, March 23, 2015

Don't care much about failing student education. They push them down and discourage them Close Quote

Schools Near Wendell 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Wendell Middle	Public	6-8	3409 NC Highway 97	Wendell	27591	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 365-1667	762	54	14.0	—	135 (17.7%)	274 (36.0%)	293 (38.5%)	17 (2.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.2%)	31.3	541^st of 778 public middle schools	30.5%		26.3	578^th of 773 public middle schools	25.2%	37	47.8	43.2	34.3	51.3	43.8	47.8	59.1	$8,914	$440	$8,473
Zebulon Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1000 Shepard School Rd	Zebulon	27597	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 404-3630	772	50	15.5	—	109 (14.1%)	378 (49.0%)	227 (29.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.7%)	35.2	513^th of 778 public middle schools	34.1%		31.2	536^th of 773 public middle schools	30.7%	23	53.4	42.0	46.4	47.0	50.0	43.9	60.7	$10,412	$366	$10,046
Neuse River Middle	Public	6-8	2700 Old Milburnie Rd	Raleigh	27604	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 266-8500	877	64	13.8	—	107 (12.2%)	286 (32.6%)	416 (47.4%)	29 (3.3%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	36 (4.1%)	19.3	656^th of 778 public middle schools	15.7%		17.6	663^rd of 773 public middle schools	14.2%	7	43.7	34.6	33.3	39.4	37.9	36.9	55.9	$10,715	$1,359	$9,355
Archer Lodge Middle	Public	6-8	762 Wendell Rd	Wendell	27591	Wake County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 553-0714	1,204	64	18.7	—	641 (53.2%)	203 (16.9%)	283 (23.5%)	13 (1.1%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (4.9%)	67.9	221^st of 778 public middle schools	71.6%		75.3	166^th of 773 public middle schools	78.5%	55	67.9	69.8	59.2	61.1	65.3	60.8	69.4	$7,395	$351	$7,044
Riverwood Middle	Public	6-8	204 Athletic Club Blvd	Clayton	27527	Johnston County	Johnston County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 359-2769	902	53	16.9	—	393 (43.6%)	248 (27.5%)	182 (20.2%)	16 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (6.7%)	54.9	352^nd of 778 public middle schools	54.8%		60.7	277^th of 773 public middle schools	64.2%	75	64.6	55.8	41.5	57.6	57.4	57.1	71.6	$7,553	$421	$7,132
River Bend Middle	Public	6-8	5601 Wallace Martin Way	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(919) 694-8690	995	62	16.0	—	76 (7.6%)	440 (44.2%)	392 (39.4%)	48 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	35 (3.5%)	27.4	584^th of 778 public middle schools	24.9%		13.5	698^th of 773 public middle schools	9.7%	114	40.7	40.8	45.0	41.1	45.5	44.9	57.5	$8,782	$962	$7,820
Rolesville Middle	Public	6-8	4700 Burlington Mills Road	Rolesville	27571	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 570-2260	889	54	16.6	43.4%	326 (36.7%)	286 (32.2%)	178 (20.0%)	36 (4.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (6.9%)	64.4	252^nd of 778 public middle schools	67.6%		67	233^rd of 773 public middle schools	69.9%	19	67.5	56.7	58.3	57.9	62.3	63.2	73.3	$9,428	$385	$9,043
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
East Millbrook Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3801 Spring Forest Rd	Raleigh	27616	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(919) 850-8755	731	58	12.5	—	87 (11.9%)	319 (43.6%)	271 (37.1%)	18 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	31 (4.2%)	22.9	627^th of 778 public middle schools	19.4%		18.3	651^st of 773 public middle schools	15.8%	24	45.0	41.1	37.3	41.9	41.9	39.0	51.4	$11,135	$1,361	$9,773
Heritage Middle	Public	6-8	3400 Rogers Road	Wake Forest	27587	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 562-6204	947	58	16.2	16.9%	608 (64.2%)	116 (12.2%)	105 (11.1%)	82 (8.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (3.6%)	91.1	49^th of 778 public middle schools	93.7%		91.9	46^th of 773 public middle schools	94.0%	3	85.9	86.2	76.3	77.0	83.3	76.4	84.5	$9,218	$405	$8,813

Frequently Asked Questions about Wendell Middle

Is Wendell Middle a good school?

Wendell Middle ranks 541^st of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Wendell Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 762 students attended Wendell Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Wendell Middle?

Students at Wendell Middle are 38% Hispanic, 36% African American, 18% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Wendell Middle attend?

Students who attend Wendell Middle usually go on to attend Wake Early College of Health and Science

What district is Wendell Middle in?

Wake County Schools

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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.