Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Wake STEM Early College High School

Public Grades 9-12

31^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 95% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Wake STEM Early College High School is a small, specialized public high school in Cary, NC, serving just 294 students in grades 9-12 through the Wake County Schools district. Over the past six reporting years, the school has never finished lower than the 93rd percentile in SchoolDigger statewide rankings, earning a #6 state ranking in 2024-2025 and receiving a 5-star rating in every listed year. As an early-college STEM school, it blends high school and college coursework in a focused science-and-math pathway, which helps explain its extraordinary academic record.

For parents comparing options, the test scores are eye-opening. In 2025-2026, Wake STEM posted 95% proficiency on the Math I end-of-course exam, compared to 36.6% districtwide and 42.1% statewide, plus 100% proficiency in Math III versus 76.4% for the district. Biology proficiency reached 93.4% and English II 98.6% in the prior year. Nearby comprehensive high schools are far behind: Cary High scored 33.5% in Math I, Apex High 38.8%, and Needham Broughton High 26.3%. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 6.4% is roughly one-third the district rate of 20.5%, signaling a highly engaged student body.

Remarkably, these results hold across economic backgrounds. About one-third of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet proficiency rates run two to three times the district average. Wake STEM also meets or beats Raleigh Charter High School, one of North Carolina's top charters, on every comparable subject (95% vs. 65.4% in Math I) while serving more low-income students with a higher student-teacher ratio. Per-pupil spending of roughly $10,700 is moderate for a specialized school. The one trend worth monitoring is a recent dip in the gifted-student subgroup ranking, but the overall record is exceptional.

294

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

35.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2205 Walnut Street
Cary, NC 27518

(919) 694-8130

District: Wake County Schools

Feeder schools for Wake STEM Early College High School:

Elementary:	Adams Elementary
	Alston Ridge Elementary
	Apex Elementary
	Aversboro Elementary
	More...
	Baileywick Road Elementary
	Ballentine Elementary
	Banks Road Elementary
	Barwell Road Elementary
	Baucom Elementary
	Brassfield Elementary
	Brentwood Elementary
	Briarcliff Elementary
	Brier Creek Elementary
	Brooks Elementary
	Bugg Elementary
	Carpenter Elementary
	Carver Elementary
	Cary Elementary
	Cedar Fork Elementary
	Combs Elementary
	Conn Elementary
	Creech Road Elementary
	Davis Drive Elementary
	Dillard Drive Elementary
	Douglas Elementary
	Durant Road Elementary
	East Garner Elementary
	Farmington Woods Elementary
	Forest Pines Drive Elementary
	Forestville Road Elementary
	Fox Road Elementary
	Fuller Elementary
	Fuquay-Varina Elementary
	Green Elementary
	Green Hope Elementary
	Harris Creek Elementary
	Herbert Akins Rd Elementary
	Heritage Elementary
	Highcroft Elementary
	Hilburn Drive Academy
	Hodge Road Elementary
	Holly Grove Elementary
	Holly Ridge Elementary
	Holly Springs Elementary
	Hunter Elementary
	Jeffreys Grove Elementary
	Jones Dairy Elementary
	Joyner Elementary
	Kingswood Elementary
	Knightdale Elementary
	Lacy Elementary
	Lake Myra Elementary
	Laurel Park Elementary
	Lead Mine Elementary
	Leesville Road Elementary
	Lincoln Heights Elementary
	Lockhart Elementary
	Lynn Road Elementary
	Middle Creek Elementary
	Millbrook Elementary
	Mills Park Elementary
	Morrisville Elementary
	North Forest Pines Elementary
	North Ridge Elementary
	Northwoods Elementary
	Oak Grove Elementary
	Olds Elementary
	Olive Chapel Elementary
	Partnership Elementary
	Penny Road Elementary
	Pleasant Union Elementary
	Poe Elementary
	Powell Elementary
	Rand Road Elementary
	Reedy Creek Elementary
	Richland Creek Elementary
	River Bend Elementary
	Rolesville Elementary
	Root Elementary
	Salem Elementary
	Sanford Creek Elementary
	Smith Elementary
	Stough Elementary
	Swift Creek Elementary
	Sycamore Creek Elementary
	Timber Drive Elementary
	Turner Creek Elementary
	Underwood Elementary
	Vance Elementary
	Vandora Springs Elementary
	Wake Forest Elementary
	Wakefield Elementary
	Wakelon Elementary
	Walnut Creek Elementary
	Washington Elementary
	Weatherstone Elementary
	Wendell Elementary
	West Lake Elementary
	Wilburn Elementary
	Wildwood Forest Elementary
	Wiley Elementary
	Willow Springs Elementary
	Yates Mill Elementary
	York Elementary
	Zebulon Elementary
Middle:	Apex Middle
	Carnage Middle
	Carroll Middle
	Centennial Campus Middle
	More...
	Davis Drive Middle
	Dillard Drive Middle
	Durant Road Middle
	East Cary Middle
	East Garner Middle
	East Millbrook Middle
	Fuquay-Varina Middle
	Heritage Middle
	Holly Grove Middle
	Holly Ridge Middle
	Leesville Road Middle
	Ligon Middle
	Lufkin Road Middle
	Martin Middle
	Mills Park Middle
	Moore Square Middle
	Neuse River Middle
	North Garner Middle
	Oberlin Middle
	Reedy Creek Middle
	Rolesville Middle
	Salem Middle
	Wake Forest Middle School
	Wakefield Middle
	Wendell Middle
	West Cary Middle
	West Lake Middle
	West Millbrook Middle
	Zebulon Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.3%

Hispanic:

28.6%

Asian:

20.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Wake STEM Early College High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2021 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (99% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school99%

District avg68%

North Carolina avg60%

31^st of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2021

From top 1% (2021) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High 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	93.1	31 of 662	95.3%	★★★★★
2025	96.4	6 of 641	99.1%	★★★★★
2024	93.9	43 of 640	93.3%	★★★★★
2023	94.9	28 of 626	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	95.9	18 of 621	97.1%	★★★★★
2021	98.0	7 of 594	98.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	98.1	21 of 437	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	99.1	9 of 434	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.4	5 of 430	98.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.9	2 of 103	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	88.0	5 of 106	95.3%	★★★★★
2024	88.8	4 of 101	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	88.9	5 of 98	94.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.3	31 of 629	95.1%	★★★★★
2025	94.3	20 of 610	96.7%	★★★★★
2024	93.3	38 of 602	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	23 of 588	96.1%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	24 of 594	96.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.2	107 of 407	73.7%	★★★★☆
2025	81.3	17 of 412	95.9%	★★★★★
2024	79.7	3 of 403	99.3%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.2	6 of 474	98.7%	★★★★★
2025	97.5	13 of 462	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	92.2	45 of 454	90.1%	★★★★★
2023	98.3	8 of 449	98.2%	★★★★★
2022	99.0	2 of 436	99.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	96.6	14 of 620	97.7%	★★★★★
2025	96.9	25 of 606	95.9%	★★★★★
2024	96.7	35 of 613	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	97.5	20 of 597	96.6%	★★★★★
2022	99.1	6 of 544	98.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	94.6	13 of 624	97.9%	★★★★★
2025	95.2	25 of 601	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.4	56 of 607	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	96.0	24 of 602	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	97.6	4 of 585	99.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	91.6	35 of 542	93.5%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	48 of 553	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	92.6	34 of 537	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	93.6	28 of 534	94.8%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2026)99th percentile+3 vs school

Asian (2026)98th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)98th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)98th percentile~ school

African American (2024)95th percentile~ school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

White (2025)94th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)74th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III100%+31 vs state

Math I95%+53 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Wake STEM Early College High School and help other families decide.

Rate Wake STEM Early College High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Wake STEM Early College High School

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
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
Athens Drive High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1420 Athens Drive	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 233-4050	2,156	125	17.1	44.0%	913 (42.3%)	543 (25.2%)	474 (22.0%)	152 (7.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (3.3%)	50	329^th of 662 public high schools	50.3%		49.7	303^rd of 641 public high schools	52.7%	26	65.2	66.5	21.8	73.5								$9,473	$614	$8,859
Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy	Public	6-12	301 Ashe Avenue	Raleigh	27606	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 508-9088	337	21	15.9	34.4%	118 (35.0%)	111 (32.9%)	59 (17.5%)	25 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.1%)	90.2	74^th of 662 public high schools	88.8%		86.7	99^th of 641 public high schools	84.6%	25	87.8	92.7		100.0	92.5	87.5	98.0	94.3	89.3	100.0	98.0	$11,659	$232	$11,427
Longleaf School of the Arts	Public, Charter	9-12	322 Chapanoke Road	Raleigh	27603	Wake County	Longleaf School of the Arts	Yes	No	No	No	(919) 896-8164	405	32	12.6		254 (62.7%)	74 (18.3%)	48 (11.9%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)	65.6	215^th of 662 public high schools	67.5%		73	164^th of 641 public high schools	74.4%	51	78.0	93.3	35.4	68.8
Vernon Malone College and Career Academy	Public	9-12	2200 S Wilmington St	Raleigh	27603	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	No	No	No	(919) 856-8119	348	22	15.8	45.1%	90 (25.9%)	136 (39.1%)	90 (25.9%)	11 (3.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.2%)	78.1	149^th of 662 public high schools	77.5%		78.1	141^st of 641 public high schools	78.0%	8	83.3	91.8	55.6	79.7								$12,204	$705	$11,499
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
Needham Broughton High	Public, Magnet	9-12	723 Saint Marys St	Raleigh	27605	Wake County	Wake County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(919) 856-7810	2,153	118	18.2	28.1%	1,259 (58.5%)	423 (19.6%)	342 (15.9%)	52 (2.4%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	74 (3.4%)	69	193^rd of 662 public high schools	70.8%		68	185^th of 641 public high schools	71.1%	8	74.6	83.6	26.3	84.8								$9,028	$494	$8,535

Frequently Asked Questions about Wake STEM Early College High School

What is the racial makeup of Wake STEM Early College High School?

Students at Wake STEM Early College High School are 33% White, 29% Hispanic, 20% Asian, 14% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Wake STEM Early College High School?

How many students attend Wake STEM Early College High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 294 students attended Wake STEM Early College High School.

Is Wake STEM Early College High School a good school?

Yes! Wake STEM Early College High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 31^st of 662 North Carolina high schools.

What district is Wake STEM Early College High School in?

Wake County Schools

Rate Wake STEM Early College High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Cary, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Wake STEM Early College High School!

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.