Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Wake County Schools

This page covers 35 high schools in Wake County 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.

35
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 35
1
rank
Holly Springs High
Grades 09–122,140 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%)
73
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
19.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
2
rank
Heritage High
Grades 09–121,811 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (94%)
72
/100
Graduation Rate
94%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
3
rank
Apex High
Grades 09–122,500 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (95%)
71
/100
Graduation Rate
95%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
19.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
4
rank
Middle Creek High
Grades 09–121,659 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
71
/100
Graduation Rate
91%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
5
rank
Apex Friendship High
Grades 09–122,772 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (96%)
71
/100
Graduation Rate
96%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
21.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
6
rank
Athens Drive High
Grades 09–122,062 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
70
/100
Graduation Rate
87%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
16.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
7
rank
Wake Forest High School
Grades 09–122,101 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
70
/100
Graduation Rate
91%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
8
rank
Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy
Grades 06–13350 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
69
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
16.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
9
rank
Rolesville High
Grades 09–122,373 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
68
/100
Graduation Rate
87%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
18.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
10
rank
Wake STEM Early College High School
Grades 09–13263 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%)
66
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
25 more high schools in Wake County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Wake County 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
35
High Schools
193
Total Schools
73
#1 Score
61
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Holly Springs High
Score: 73/10098% graduation
Compare Wake County 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.