Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27516

ZIP code 27516, in the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, is served by 13 schools — six elementary, four middle, two high, and one K-12 charter — that together enroll about 7,600 students and are mostly part of the strong Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, which ranks in the 89th percentile statewide. This is a high-performing area, with several schools consistently ranking among North Carolina’s best. Morris Grove Elementary and Seawell Elementary are the top elementary options, with 5th-grade science proficiency near or above 86% and chronic absenteeism under 10%. At the middle school level, Smith Middle and Margaret B. Pollard Middle both rank in the 90th percentile statewide, with Pollard achieving that despite lower per-student spending and a higher student-teacher ratio.

Among high schools, Chapel Hill High is the ZIP’s main traditional option, graduating 94% of students and posting strong Biology and English II scores, though only 46.2% of students are proficient in Math I. Woods Charter, a K-12 charter school, outperforms nearly every other school in the area, with English II proficiency at 97.7% and a 9.4-to-1 student-teacher ratio. At the other end of the spectrum, Phoenix Academy High is a very small alternative school (27 students) serving at-risk students, with an 88.9% free/reduced lunch rate, 50% chronic absenteeism, and high per-student spending of $46,250.

Economic need tracks closely with test scores across the ZIP. Northside Elementary has the highest poverty rate among traditional elementary schools (52.9% free/reduced lunch) and the lowest proficiency rates, while McDougle Middle and Culbreth Middle rank lower than Smith and Pollard as their poverty rates rise. Attendance also varies by level: elementary schools average about 12% chronic absenteeism, middle schools around 16%, and Chapel Hill High is slightly above the state average. Overall, ZIP 27516 offers excellent schools by North Carolina standards, but the specific school a child attends matters — outcomes and demographics differ substantially even within this small geographic area.