Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Durham Public Schools

This page covers 13 high schools in Durham Public 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 below 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.

13
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 13
1
rank
Durham School of Technology
Grades 09–12251 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
76
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Hillside High
Grades 09–121,526 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,524/student)
70
/100
Graduation Rate
82%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
16.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
J D Clement Early College HS
Grades 09–12395 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
26.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
C E Jordan High
Grades 09–122,040 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,524/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
82%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Middle College HS @ DTCC
Grades 11–12106 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
City of Medicine Academy
Grades 09–12349 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Durham School of the Arts
Grades 06–121,705 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (95%) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
66
/100
Graduation Rate
95%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
The School for Creative Studies
Grades 06–12540 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.0:1) · above-average investment ($17,524/student)
63
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
13.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Northern High
Grades 09–121,308 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,524/student)
63
/100
Graduation Rate
82%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
15.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Riverside High
Grades 09–121,812 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,524/student)
61
/100
Graduation Rate
81%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,524
Above nat'l avg
3 more high schools in Durham Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Durham Public 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
13
High Schools
55
Total Schools
76
#1 Score
64
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Durham School of Technology
Score: 76/10093% graduation
Compare Durham Public 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.