These are North Carolina’s top middle and elementary schools in the new US News rankings

T. Keung Hui
·2 min read

The Triangle and Charlotte area dominated U.S. News & World Report’s newest list of the best elementary schools and middle schools in North Carolina.

The Wake County and Union County school systems accounted for six of the state’s top 10 elementary schools and five of North Carolina’s top 10 middle schools. Charter schools in Mecklenburg, Orange and Wake counties and a middle school in Iredell County also cracked the top 10 in the respective lists.

This week, U.S. News released its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings. In August, U.S. News had released its 2023-24 Best High School list.

In the new list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

U.S. News looked at data from the U.S. Department of Education to see how students were performing at each school on state math and reading exams.

Schools were evaluated both on the passing rates and how the results compared to their predicted scores, which were based on their student demographics. Schools were ranked higher if they outperformed their predicted score.

Student-teacher ratios were used to break ties in the overall score.

The results can be found at www.usnews.com/education/k12.

Top NC middle schools

▪ Brown Summit Middle School in Browns Summit in Guilford County Schools at No. 1.

▪ The Brawley School in Mooresville in Iredell-Statesville Schools at No. 2.

▪ Endeavor Charter School in Wake Forest at No. 3.

▪ Marvin Ridge Middle School in Waxhaw in Union County Public Schools at No. 4.

▪ Mills Park Middle School in Cary in Wake County Schools at No. 5.

▪ Weddington Middle School in Union County Public Schools at No. 6.

▪ The Expedition School, a charter school in Hillsborough at No. 7.

▪ Greensboro Academy, a charter school in Greensboro at No. 8.

▪ Davis Drive Middle School in Cary in Wake County Schools at No. 9.

▪ Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh in Wake County Schools at No. 10.

Fifth-grade students at Davis Drive Elementary in Cary celebrate the school being named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. U.S. News & World Report ranked Davis Drive as the No. 8 elementary school in North Carolina in its 2024 Best Schools list.
Fifth-grade students at Davis Drive Elementary in Cary celebrate the school being named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. U.S. News & World Report ranked Davis Drive as the No. 8 elementary school in North Carolina in its 2024 Best Schools list.

Top NC elementary schools

▪ The Academy at Lincoln in Greensboro in Guilford County Schools at No. 1.

▪ Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, a charter school in Charlotte at No. 2.

▪ Rea View Elementary School in Waxhaw in Union County Public Schools at No. 3.

▪ White Oak Elementary School in Apex in Wake County Schools at No. 4.

▪ Wrightsville Beach Elementary School in New Hanover County Schools at No. 5.

▪ Weddington Elementary School in Union County Public Schools at No. 6.

▪ Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville at No. 7.

▪ Davis Drive Elementary School in Cary in Wake County Schools at No. 8.

▪ HIghcroft Drive Elementary School in Cary in Wake County Schools at No. 9.

▪ Green Hope Elementary School in Cary in Wake County Schools at No. 10.