Our area has some of the highest-ranking schools in the Southeast and the nation. Year by year student scores have been increasing, and the new governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley, has made a public commitment to carry on previous governor Jim Hunt's mandate to make education a top priority.

To that end, the area not only has a large number of public schools but also boasts magnet schools and charter schools as well. Add to that the fine private schools and the growing home-school population, you'll have no problem finding the right educational opportunities for your child.

And when your child is ready for college, we have no less than six Colleges and Universities and a number of community and technical colleges right here in the Triangle!

You can also find additional information on North Carolina public schools at the official North Carolina Public School web site. [ web site ]

Wake County Public Schools The Wake County Public School system serves Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville and Wake Forest. The system is comprised of 121 schools (78 elementary, 23 middle, 16 high and 4 special/alternative), and includes both traditional and magnet programs. The magnet programs, which are designed to provide advanced studies for promising students, encompass such areas of study as creative arts, sciences, international studies, classical studies, foreign languages, statistics, engineering, dance, and ballet. A number of schools in the area have gone to a year-round program, offering a more balanced approach to families, and overcoming the 'summer gap' that leaves so many students behind at the beginning of a traditional school year.

Some of the statistics for the Wake County schools are as follows:

• Ratios: K-1:23, Grades 1-5- 1:25, Grades 6-8-1:22, Grades 9-12-1:23
• Per pupil expenditure/year: $5,635
• Graduating students going to college: 87%
• SAT scores - higher than the national average, and rising for the last 5 years

Special Needs: Several schools offer programs for special needs children, including the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, Shelley School Child Development Center, United Cerebral Palsy Development Center, and several others.

Newcomers can find out everything they need to know about enrolling their children at the Wake County Public School System Newcomer Page.


Durham Public Schools The Durham Public School System serves Durham County residents with 44 schools and 29,000 students. They are focused on providing a high quality education to all the students, and have 8 magnet schools, 4 year-round elementary schools and a number of other specialized programs to address student needs.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public System serves Chapel-Hill and Arbor residents with 15 schools and 10,000 students. They committed to providing an excellent education that will lead to the success of each and every student. Chapel Hill High School - Carrboro Public Schools

The Triangle area offers a wide variety of private schools. Many of them are parochial, some are non-denominational, and a few are secular. The largest of the non-public schools include:

There are a number of other schools offering non-public educational opportunities in the area. For a complete list non-public education schools in North Carolina by county, please visit the Division of Non-Public Education. [ web site ]

The Triangle area is filled with opportunities for post secondary education. As a result we have the highest concentration of Ph.D's in the country. There are 12 colleges and universities in the area, including NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke University. These schools alone are considered top colleges for academics and research (and they field really good sports teams too!). 

The universities cooperate with one another, allowing students a wide range of facilities to choose from while pursuing their education. Quite a few RTP companies also provide internship opportunities, and hire out of the graduating pool here.

North Carolina State University

919-515-2011
NC State was founded in 1887 as an agricultural and engineering college. Over the years it has expanded to include many other disciplines, and currently offers degrees in over 90 disciplines. NCSU has a student population of over 28,000, and no wonder. "State" is one of the top 10 engineering colleges in the country, has the worlds largest textiles school, and over 95% of its students go on to immediate employment. The NCSU Veterinary School is ranked fourth in the U.S., and the creative writing program in the Humanities Department has four best selling authors on the faculty. You can see why NCSU is a popular college. Combine that with the prominence of the NCSU Wolfpack in college sports and you've got a winner! [ web site ]

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

919-962-2211
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nations' first state university, established in 1789. It was also the only university in the country to offer degrees to students in the 1700's. UNC-CH is a top research college, and consists of 13 colleges and schools offering programs in over 100 disciplines, and professional degrees in dentistry, medicine, law, and pharmacy. It is a member of the Association of American Universities, and consistently ranks high as a public university. UNC-CH has a student population of over 24,000, and over the years has turned out 24 Rhodes scholars and hundreds of prominent people, including governors, legislators and judges. [ web site ]

Duke University

919-684-8111
Duke University was formed from Trinity College in 1924 by 'Buck' Duke as a memorial to his father Washington Duke, who built his empire on the brightleaf tobacco native to the area, and formed the Duke Power company, providing electricity to the growing metro area. Today, Duke University consistently scores as one of the top universities in the nation, ranking with Yale last year in a tie for 3rd place. The Duke University Medical Center has international recognition as a first rate facility. Duke has 10 schools and colleges including Engineering, Trinity College, Nicolas School of the Environment, School of Law, Divinity School, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and the Fuqua School of Business. Duke has a small student population, with 6,500 undergraduate students, and about 5,400 graduate and professional students. [ web site ]

Meredith College

919-760-8600
Meredith is the largest private women's college in the Southeast. Total enrollment is around 2,600 and degrees are offered in several disciplines. [ web site ]

Peace College

919-508-2000
Peace College is a liberal arts and sciences private school for women that offers bachelors' and associate degrees in a variety of areas. This college retains its nearly 150 year old affiliation with the Presbyterian Church, and has an enrollment of about 550. [ web site ]

North Carolina Central University

919-560-6100
NCCU is a historically African-American school offering its 5,500 students degrees in 51 disciplines. [ web site ]

St. Augustine's College

919-516-4000
St. Augustine's is one of the oldest African-American colleges in the country. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and offers its 1,600 students education in a liberal arts environment. [ web site ]

Shaw University

919-546-8200
Shaw University is the oldest African-American University in the South. It offers a liberal arts curriculum to its 2,500 students, and is associated with the Baptist Church. [ web site ]

Southeastern Baptist Theological College and Seminary

919-556-3101
This stately college in Wake Forest offers two distinct programs: A lay program that prepares men and women for vocational service and ministries with an associate of divinity degree, or a bachelor of arts in biblical studies. The college is also one of the largest seminaries in the U.S. with an enrollment of 1,800 and offers masters' degrees in divinity with many specializations. [ web site ]

Wake Technical Community College

919-866-5562
Wake Tech provides 93 technical, vocational and university-transfer programs at several locations all over the Triangle, and has a comprehensive continuing education program for professionals as well. [ web site ]

Durham Technical Community College

919-686-3300
Durham Tech has more than 55 programs covering a variety of technical and vocational areas. [ web site ]