Best Public Schools in Zip Code 27713

Zip code 27713 includes NC Virtual Academy, North Carolina Cyber Academy, Pearsontown Elementary, Southwest Elementary, Lyons Farm Elementary, Research Triangle High School, Lowe's Grove Middle, Murray-Massenburg Elementary, Parkwood Elementary, and Kestrel Heights School which serve elementary through high school grades. The physical schools in the zip are heavily part of Durham Public Schools, a district ranked in the 37th percentile statewide, while NC Virtual Academy and North Carolina Cyber Academy are statewide virtual programs that account for over half of the roughly 10,520 students in this data.

Research Triangle High School is the standout secondary option with a 94.3% graduation rate, an 87.2% English II proficiency rate that is 22.6 points above the state, and chronic absenteeism of only 13.1%. Among the elementary schools, Lyons Farm Elementary ranks highest at the 81st percentile, followed by Pearsontown Elementary at the 75th percentile and Southwest Elementary at the 74th percentile; Southwest posts an impressive 83.5% proficiency on 5th-grade science versus the 67.7% state average. All three schools serve populations where more than 99% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, proving that high achievement is possible under high-poverty conditions.

In sharp contrast, Parkwood Elementary sits at the 5th percentile while Lowe's Grove Middle sits at the 12th percentile, and Murray-Massenburg Elementary falls at the 23rd percentile. Chronic absenteeism strongly aligns with performance: the top schools have rates between 13.1% and 16.8%, while Parkwood (46.1%) and Lowe's Grove (43.7%) have nearly half of students missing significant school. Families should note that North Carolina Cyber Academy and NC Virtual Academy graduate only about 79% of students, roughly 10 points below the state, and no traditional public middle school in this zip is performing near the top. With Kestrel Heights School ranking at the 38th percentile as the K-8 charter option, the zip offers wide variation, so parents should compare individual school results carefully rather than assuming a single neighborhood profile.