Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27610

Raleigh's 27610 ZIP code contains 18 schools serving about 10,800 students from pre-K through grade 12 — including 10 elementary/K-8 schools, 2 middle schools, and 6 high schools that vary widely in size and academics. Fifteen belong to Wake County Schools; PreEminent Charter, RISE Southeast Raleigh Charter School, and Central Wake High School are independent charters. A few tiny programs, like Longview (18 students) and River Oaks Middle (7 students), serve specialized or alternative populations and should not be compared with traditional campuses.

The strongest schools are clear standouts. Wake Early College of Health and Science leads the ZIP code at the 92nd percentile, with test scores above 94% in every subject. Carnage Middle follows at the 85th percentile, and Enloe High — the largest school at 2,643 students — is a strong comprehensive option with a 90.8% graduation rate. Poe Elementary is the best traditional elementary at the 67th percentile. On the opposite end, Central Wake High School ranks in the 5th percentile with a 23% graduation rate, and Walnut Creek Elementary ranks in the 8th percentile with 5th-grade reading at just 25.3%. Barwell Road Elementary is a positive surprise: despite 99.5% poverty, it reaches the 41st percentile, roughly matching district math averages.

Reading proficiency is the biggest concern, with only Poe Elementary and Fuller Elementary above 50% in 5th-grade reading. Chronic absenteeism also tracks with outcomes, from 13.7% at Carnage Middle to 43% at Southeast Raleigh High. On the positive side, Southeast Raleigh Elementary has climbed from the 5th to the 21st percentile in two years, while Southeast Raleigh High posted a striking turnaround in Math I proficiency, jumping from 14.5% to 46.3% — now above both district and state averages.