Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

This page covers 32 high schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

32
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 32
1
rank
Northwest School of the Arts
Grades 06–121,058 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%)
75
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Performance Learning Center
Grades 09–1274 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%) · small class sizes (5.8:1)
72
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
5.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Char Eng Early College-UNCC
Grades 09–13300 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%)
72
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
Olympic High School
Grades 09–121,729 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%)
71
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
19.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Hopewell High School
Grades 09–121,755 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
69
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
17.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
William Amos Hough High
Grades 09–122,518 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Providence High School
Grades 09–122,048 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (95%)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
95%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
61/100
Above nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Ardrey Kell High School
Grades 09–123,529 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
North Mecklenburg High School
Grades 09–122,186 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
66
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
20.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Mallard Creek High School
Grades 09–122,185 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (94%)
66
/100
Graduation Rate
94%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
20.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$15,997
Above nat'l avg
22 more high schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
32
High Schools
178
Total Schools
75
#1 Score
60
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Northwest School of the Arts
Score: 75/10098% graduation
Compare Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.