Public + private high schools, every state.
901
high schools (public + private)
629
public (206 districts)
272
private (NCES PSS)
103,993
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

NC public HS enrollment trend

Across the 316,808 students enrolled in NC brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +3.1% by 2024 (326,764 students, +9,956 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 6.7% (21,998 of 326,764 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does NC compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
273
0 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
263
+3 vs national avg (260)
national avg NC Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. NC is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

Charlotte 32 HS 35,421
Raleigh 13 HS 18,019
Greensboro 20 HS 15,250
Fayetteville 15 HS 12,127
Cary 6 HS 10,294
Wilmington 8 HS 8,211
Winston Salem 7 HS 6,995
Apex 3 HS 6,784
Monroe 7 HS 6,434
Wake Forest 4 HS 5,064

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Seaforth High
Chatham County Schools
439→1,088 +147.8%
Willow Spring High
Wake County Schools
928→2,223 +139.5%
American Leadership Academy - Johnston
American Leadership Academy - Johnston
208→495 +138.0%
Commonwealth High
Commonwealth High School
166→377 +127.1%
Stewart Creek High
Stewart Creek High School
192→342 +78.1%
Wake Preparatory Academy
Wake Preparatory Academy
403→715 +77.4%
Pinnacle Classical Academy
Pinnacle Classical Academy
162→284 +75.3%
SCORE Academy
Wake County Schools
347→584 +68.3%
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County
208→345 +65.9%
Triangle Math and Science Academy
Triangle Math and Science Academy
295→470 +59.3%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Northwood High
Chatham County Schools
1,124→634 -43.6%
Olympic High School
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
2,607→1,483 -43.1%
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory
460→341 -25.9%
Harding University High School
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
1,619→1,204 -25.6%
Nash Central High
Nash County Public Schools
943→702 -25.6%
South Mecklenburg High School
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
3,259→2,534 -22.2%
Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
307→239 -22.1%
Hertford County High
Hertford County Schools
567→447 -21.2%
Goldsboro High
Wayne County Public Schools
519→412 -20.6%
Penn-Griffin Schools
Guilford County Schools
156→124 -20.5%

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