Best public high schools in North Carolina

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A class of high schoolers as viewed from the rear.
Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock
- Location: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 1,475 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#30. East Chapel Hill High School
A student filling out a scantron form for a multiple choice test.
Achira22 // Shutterstock
- Location: Hoke County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 458 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#29. Sandhoke Early College
A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
- Location: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 1,505 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#28. Chapel Hill High School
A student standing next to their backpack as seen from the knee down.
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
- Location: Wilson County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 241 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#27. Wilson Early College Academy
Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.
Mircea Moira // Shutterstock
- Location: Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 1,206 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#26. Atkins Academic & Technology High School
A high school student doing a chemical experiment.
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
- Location: Iredell-Statesville Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 227 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#25. Collaborative College for Technology & Leadership (CCTL)
A high school student sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper.
panitanphoto // Shutterstock
- Location: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 299 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#24. Charlotte Engineering Early College
A student raising their hand in class.
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
- Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 192 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#23. STEM Early College at Nc A&T. Su
An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
- Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 306 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#22. Weaver Academy for Performing & Visual Arts and Advanced Technology
A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
- Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 809 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#21. Central Academy of Technology & Arts
A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
- Location: Johnston County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 278 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#20. Johnston County Early College Academy
A hallway lined with green lockers.
SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 282 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#19. Wake STEM Early College High School
A side view of a person using a laptop in the school library.
sirtravelalot // Shutterstock
- Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 1,844 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#18. Weddington High School
An empty classroom as viewed from the back.
maroke // Shutterstock
- Location: Lee County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 278 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#17. Lee Early College
A pencil case full of pens, pencils, and highlighters spilling on a table.
Studio KIWI // Shutterstock
- Location: Wayne County Public Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 228 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#16. Wayne Early Middle College High School
A group of students walking down the hall with their backs facing the camera.
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
- Location: Gaston County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 533 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#15. Highland School of Technology
An overhead view of high school pupils in group study sitting around circular tables.
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
- Location: New Hanover County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 230 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#14. Isaac M. Bear High School
Students using microscopes in science class.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 2,416 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#13. William G. Enloe High School
High school students studying and reading together in their school library.
Joyseulay // Shutterstock
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 2,070 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#12. Green Hope High School
Students raising their hands for class participation.
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 2,326 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#11. Panther Creek High School
A stack of textbooks with pens on top of them next to an open notebook.
Canva
- Location: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 3,494 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#10. Ardrey Kell High School
Two students sharing a book.
Canva
- Location: Union County Public Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 2,032 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#9. Marvin Ridge High School
A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.
Canva
- Location: Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 260 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#8. Early College of Forsyth
A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.
Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock
- Location: Onslow County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 190 (32:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#7. Onslow Early College High School
Students' backpacks sitting on a hallway floor.
LBeddoe // Shutterstock
- Location: Gaston County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 238 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#6. Gaston Early College High School
Bookshelves at a high school's library.
Canva
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 338 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#5. Wake Early College of Health & Sciences
A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
- Location: Wake County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 1,936 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#4. Green Level High School
Two rows of red lockers.
Canva
- Location: Raleigh, NC
- Enrollment: 559 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#3. Raleigh Charter High School
Empty desks in a high school classroom.
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
- Location: Guilford County Schools, NC
- Enrollment: 197 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#2. The Early College at Guilford
A closeup of a student taking notes in class.
Canva
- Location: Durham, NC
- Enrollment: 976 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

#1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
LightField Studios // Shutterstock