NC school ranked No. 2 public high school in the US. See who else made the 2024 list.

T. Keung Hui
·2 min read
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A North Carolina school is no longer rated the best public high school in the U.S., but it’s still holding strong at No. 2 in the nation.

Niche.com dropped the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics to No. 2 nationally after ranking it last year as the best public high school in America. The website also released this week its 2024 national and state-by-state rankings of K-12 schools and districts.

Only The Davidson Academy in Nevada ranked higher than the School of Science and Math, which has campuses in Durham and Morganton.

Another Triangle school — Raleigh Charter High School — was ranked 47th best public high school in the U.S. and the No. 4 charter school in the nation.

Top school lists released by U.S. News & World Report and other groups rely on test scores, academic performance and graduation data. U.S. News also doesn’t rank specialized schools like the School of Science and Math.

In contrast, Niche also factors in ratings from current students, alumni, and parents.

“Primary and secondary education can set a trajectory for a person’s life that influences their future career path, their earning potential, and the impact they will make on the world,” Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO of Niche, said in a news release. “Our 2024 K-12 rankings are one tool we hope will help make families feel confident in their choices for laying the foundation for their children’s futures.

Go to www.niche.com/k12/rankings/ to view the full rankings.

School serves gifted NC students

The School of Science and Math is a statewide residential boarding school serving some of the state’s most academically gifted high school juniors and seniors. The school is part of the UNC system.

It opened as the nation’s first public, residential STEM high school in 1980 in the former Watts Hospital in Durham. A second campus in Morganton opened last fall.

The school has nearly 1,000 students total between the two campuses. Students face stiff competition getting accepted into the school.

Best NC high schools

The top five North Carolina high schools, including public and private, according to Niche, were:

▪ N.C. School of Science and Mathematics

▪ Cary Academy

▪ Durham Academy

▪ Early College at Guilford

▪ Providence Day School in Charlotte

Best NC public high schools

The top five North Carolina public high schools, according to Niche, were:

▪ N.C. School of Science and Mathematics

▪ The Early College at Guilford

▪ Raleigh Charter High School

▪ Green Level High School in Cary

▪ Wake Early College of Health and Sciences in Raleigh

Best NC private high schools

The top five North Carolina private high schools, according to Niche, were:

▪ Cary Academy

▪ Durham Academy

▪ Providence Day School

▪ Gaston Day School in Gastonia

▪ Salem Academy in Winston-Salem