A young boy in a green shirt is following a drawing book with other students at the table in Wake County

K-12 Education

Fueling the Future of Wake County

Within Wake, Durham and Orange Counties there are four separate K-12 public school systems: Wake County Public School System, Durham County Public Schools, Orange County School District, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. These systems enroll a combined 213,000 students and offer an incredible range of educational opportunities. There are also nearly 50 charter schools and over 100 private schools, as well as international schools. For those looking for a non-traditional route, we’ve got accredited Montessori, Waldorf, and Emerson schools too. Wherever you choose, your kids will get a great education!

A young girl in a classroom draws a picture
Students in a classroom listen to their teacher
Elementary school classroom
A teacher points to a map on the wall in a classroom while teaching students
group of kids waving blue streamers on the sidewalk
  • Wake County Public Schools
  • Durham County Public Schools
  • Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
  • Orange County Public Schools
  • NCSSM
Wake County Public Schools
A young girl in a classroom draws a picture
Wake County Public Schools

Wake County Public Schools

With more than 161,900 students, Wake County is home to the largest public school system in North Carolina and 14th largest in the nation.  Even more importantly, it’s one of the state’s top performers. With a robust budget, the district is able to provide a broad range of educational opportunities and support services. The district recently received a $14.1M federal grant to expand services at four magnet schools.

A unique feature of the school district is that in addition to schools with a traditional calendar, there are also select schools offering a year-round program where instead of taking a long break for the summer, students take a 3-week break after each quarter. Talk about flexibility!

Durham County Public Schools
Students in a classroom listen to their teacher
Durham County Public Schools

Durham County Public Schools

Richly diverse and serving more than 32,000 students, Durham Public Schools offers traditional schools, magnet programs, year-round calendar schools, and small specialty high schools. They have their very own “farm to school” nutrition program, featuring the use of local food and collaborations with local farmers and food partners. To say the district cares about children is an understatement; a partnership with Duke Children’s Hospital allows chronically ill and hospitalized children across the country to remain in school.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Elementary school classroom
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

One of two school systems in Orange County, schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system typically rank among the top five performers in the state and produce some of the state’s highest average SAT scores. In fact, Niche, which analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users, ranks the school system the best in North Carolina. Serving 12,000 students, this district is a powerhouse!

Orange County Public Schools
A teacher points to a map on the wall in a classroom while teaching students
Orange County Public Schools

Orange County Public Schools

The second of two school systems in Orange County, the district serves just over 7,200 students. The smallest of the four local districts, Orange County is by no means overshadowed by its larger neighbors.

NCSSM
group of kids waving blue streamers on the sidewalk
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics inspires talented young North Carolinians to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and math. The residential program in Durham is a public high school where juniors and seniors from across the state experience a world class STEM education. The first school of its kind, students can attend completely tuition-free. Learn more.