Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Wake County Schools

This page covers 39 middle schools in Wake County Schools. Rankings use a composite of 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.

39
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 39
1
rank
Pine Hollow Middle
Grades 06–08850 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
60
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
64/100
Above nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
27%
Low economic need
2
rank
Connections Academy
Grades 06–0821 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (1.7:1)
60
/100
Student:Teacher
1.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
3
rank
Martin Middle
Grades 06–08958 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
59
/100
Student:Teacher
14.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
28%
Low economic need
4
rank
Heritage Middle
Grades 06–08997 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
59
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
14%
Low economic need
5
rank
Oberlin Middle
Grades 06–081,076 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
58
/100
Student:Teacher
14.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
58/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
33%
Low economic need
6
rank
Apex Middle
Grades 06–08905 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
57
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
24%
Low economic need
7
rank
Holly Grove Middle
Grades 06–08935 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
57
/100
Student:Teacher
17.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
16%
Low economic need
8
rank
Apex Friendship Middle
Grades 06–081,397 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
57
/100
Student:Teacher
18.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
12%
Low economic need
9
rank
East Cary Middle
Grades 06–08627 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (13.3:1)
56
/100
Student:Teacher
13.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
10
rank
Lufkin Road Middle
Grades 06–08995 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
56
/100
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,074
Near nat'l avg
Free Lunch
32%
Low economic need
29 more middle schools in Wake County Schools not shown here.
View all schools in Wake County Schools
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle 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.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
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
39
Middle Schools
193
Total Schools
60
#1 Score
52
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Pine Hollow Middle
Score: 60/100
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), 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.