2023 Best Charter High Schools in North Carolina

• Raleigh, NC•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.48 out of 5  200 reviews

Senior: My years at Raleigh Charter have allowed me to grow as an individual and as a intellectual. Although Raleigh Charter’s academic rigor is challenging, it enables the student to have a well-rounded education which can prepare them for any walks of life. In addition, the non academic features of the school are also very rewarding. There is almost always an event that one can attended every week as a break from academic students. There are an array of clubs present that can allow students to grow their interests ranging from STEM to liberal arts. As a small school, There are many different ways students can be involved into the community and make an impact. The only thing I would change about Raleigh Charter is the diversity. If there were more minorities whether teachers are students, there would be more perspectives to take from. Nonetheless, the community is very inclusive and welcoming!... Read 200 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 569

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Chapel Hill, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  54 reviews

Parent: I have three children at WCS and we have been incredibly pleased with our experience! I went to a small private school and see many similarities between it and the experience my children are having at Woods. We have LOVED our teachers. My son is currently being placed into a reading intervention program to receive extra help. The school and specialists have been attentive and responsive to all of our questions. It is a loving, nurturing and positive atmosphere. I am so happy we are at this school and look forward to many more years as part of the Woods family!... Read 54 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 509

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Durham, NC•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  62 reviews

Parent: We love the atmosphere of this school, the teachers are fun but also serious about teaching and learning. Expectations are high and students work hard but they don't have tons of homework, and many classes have lots of hands-on activities. We love the personalized learning method, students can move ahead quickly if they have already mastered the material - so much better than spending hours bored in class while the teacher goes over something you already know! It's a little confusing to understand how the grading works at first, but it's worth the hassle. We're so glad we took a chance and tried something different.... Read 62 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 586

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Huntersville, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  270 reviews

Alum: I spent eight years at LNC and made great friends and even greater memories. The sporting events are always fun to attend, especially with the Knightmare student section. The majority of teachers are amazing and you have many opportunities to take AP and Dual Enrollment courses. They also have a great lunch program where you can order from places like Chik-Fil-A and Panda Express. The only thing I didn’t enjoy with LNC was how everyone had their own social group that they always stuck with. Overall, I enjoyed my time at LNC and I will forever be a Knight!... Read 270 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,207

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Mooresboro, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  140 reviews

Senior: Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy is a school that has a rigorous curriculum that prepares its students for college. The teachers here truly want to see the students succeed and are very willing to do anything they can to help make sure the students understand and excel at the curriculum and so much more. The teachers and administration want to make sure every student that attends has as many opportunities to succeed as possible. Over the past few years, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy has expanded its campus with the intent of improving current students' experiences and welcoming more students to the TJCA family. Overall the teachers and students at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy are wonderful, understanding, and caring people.... Read 140 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,358

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Cary, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  33 reviews

Senior: Overall, fairly good school. Good academics (offers all non-obscure APs in HS) with strong teachers in all your core classes. More flexibility than most schools, very accommodating of students charting their own course through taking advanced classes. Never felt unsafe. Prepares you well for college. It's a smaller STEM school, so sports are middling. You'd think the clubs would be strong, and they can be, but only when students or parents take initiative/leadership and take over the club. When this happens, strong resources are provided. When it doesn't, clubs fall into disrepair until another leader comes along. The schools weakest point is admin, which seems to be quite bad. Teacher management is bad: I've seen teachers dealing with unreasonable/confusing demands, and more than one leave because of it. Perhaps the biggest manifestation of this is that the school is currently too small for how many students it has. A second school has been promised for years and is needed.... Read 33 reviews

• grade A

• Students 946

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Mooresville, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.06 out of 5  132 reviews

Junior: I joined Pine Lake Preparatory this year and my experience had been wonderful! This school has classes that allow me to explore my interests in art+animation and in STEM! This was really exciting to me, and currently, the school is looking to add more semester-long choices for students to explore their interests. The academics are fairly good and the school offers a large selection of AP courses. The experiences I've had with my teachers have been good, I've been able to communicate my needs with them over email, and if I need to meet with one of them about something I've been able to arrange that. In terms of diversity, the school reflects the demographics of the six counties it pulls from. Racially, most of the students are white, but there are a variety of socioeconomic statuses, and there are some clubs for minority students. In terms of student organizations, there are plenty, I'm a member of several, including the robotics team! This school is great and I'm glad to be here.... Read 132 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,877

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Davidson, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  74 reviews

Senior: Community School of Davidson has the best teachers I have ever had, they truly care about you and they go out of their way to help you. For example I had emailed a teacher at 10:30 pm, and I didn't want or expect them to get back to me that night but sure enough at 11 pm they did. The learning style here is something I have never experienced, in that they don't have test ever week and in a history class I had we look at a war that happened and got articles from both countries that were involved to see how they both blamed each other. But the other students are nice, but most of the students have been there since preschool so they take our school for granted. Also the students there are 85% well off, which isn't a bad thing but there just isn't a diversity of wealth or race. Overall CSD is a good school and they try their best!... Read 74 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,430

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Misenheimer, NC•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  131 reviews

Senior: Based on the years I have attended Gray Stone Day School, there have been many opportunities for learning and growing as a person. With the multiple changes we have gone through within the years 2017 until the present day, I have learned more about myself within the environment of this school than I have ever learned anywhere else. My experience inside the school has not always been the best due to relationships with friends and even staff members but when brought to the attention of the administration, most of the time, something was done to stop discrimination. As being a white female at Gray Stone there wasn't much to discriminate but the idea of being a female was not always popular amongst some of the students there. When this was brought to one of my teachers, the stop was immediate and I grew more and more every day since. The environment is safe and quiet with hardly any fights or outrageous events and it has helped me as a person to know what I will do with my future.... Read 131 reviews

• grade A

• Students 819

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Wake Forest, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  238 reviews

Senior: Throughout my experience as a student in Franklin Academy I can truly say that this school made the biggest impact on my life academically, in sports and my personal life itself. This school gives out so many opportunities to better our chances into getting scholarships and get into out dream colleges. And what is even better is that this is for everyone including underclassman. Not only do they do this but compared to other high schools in North Carolina, Franklin Academy is the only school who teaches us to advocate for ourselves and encourage us to seek out as many opportunities as possible. Overall I give this school a 5 star rating!... Read 238 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,650

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Charlotte, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  24 reviews

Parent: We've had a wonderful experience at Corvian. We are currently at the high school and are impressed by the teachers and admin there. As a parent of a student with a 504, I've always felt like part of a team with my son, guidance, admin, and teachers to help him get what he needs, while still encouraging him to grow. Any concerns I've ever had about anything have always been listened to and discussed, and now, my child feels comfortable enough to address any problems he's having directly with the adults at the school. I'm forever grateful for the Corvian community. Although this is the first year with a full high school, I love that the students can start their own clubs as long as they can get a teacher to sponsor, and admin to sign off - what a great leadership experience!... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,291

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Henderson, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.48 out of 5  23 reviews

Senior: My experience at Henderson Collegiate High School is very good. I would describe my experience here as a positive one because the school really sets you up for success. On a daily basis its for preparing oneself for college, teaching you many responsibilities, and values of a acronym we use “PRIDE” the utilization of said word is very essential for the development and shaping for us students attending, because it teaches us of: pride, responsibility, integrity, determination, and enthusiasm. These are all values we must embody to live fulfilling lives. Henderson Collegiate teaches you values that may at the moment seem pointless, but as you age you see how helpful it is. Henderson Collegiate really helped to shape me for the better.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,335

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Greensboro, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.57 out of 5  37 reviews

Parent: Cornerstone has been challenging, safe and tight-knit community for both of my children. There are events for elementary, middle and high school that are well-attended and supported by the PTO. The teachers love the students and their job and it shows! The school is safe, calm and well-run. My children have enjoyed all of their classes, as well as the sports, field trips and especially the AP offerings. We are so glad that we took a chance 10 years ago and enrolled in a brand new charter school that’s pillars are rigorous academics, character education and parent involvement. My daughter got into all 10 schools she applied to and earned scholarships to most of them. Our son is on the same track and we can’t wait for his accept letters to roll in this winter. Both are thankful for the opportunity to attend a school that focuses on the whole child and not just standardized test scores. If you are lucky enough to get into Cornerstone, accept the spot. It was a great decision for us!... Read 37 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,295

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Denver, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  209 reviews

Senior: Lincoln Charter is a great school as it provides students with multiple opportunities to show service and gives them a great experience of high school. To enhance the high school experience, Lincoln Charter provides various clubs along with multiple activities such as intramurals; however, I believe Lincoln Charter can make some changes in the way activities are operated as some activities tend to be chaotic. Lincoln Charter can also add more cooperative activities as there are many competitive ones but not that many cooperative ones where one can work together with others.... Read 209 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,221

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hillsborough, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.68 out of 5  19 reviews

Parent: The staff and teachers at Eno River Academy are the absolute best! They have clear communication with the parents on a weekly basis (super important!), they make their expectations for the students very clear and are willing to work with them without lowering those expectations, and they have surpassed my expectations with the transition over to online learning during this pandemic. I could not be more happy with this school!... Read 19 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 770

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Monroe, NC•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  199 reviews

Alum: I was a transfer student at UA and of course like everyone who starts at a new school, I was so nervous and scared to see what it was like. In the past years I had changed schools a couple times and it was always the same but at UA it was different. They have such a welcoming community and I felt right at home once I walked through those doors. I met so many amazing people and made amazing friends and memories. To this day I stay in contact with many friends and even some teachers. Union Academy thrives to make everyone feel welcome and they are doing a perfect job at doing so. I am beyond grateful to have been able to graduate from there and I wouldn’t change a thing about it!... Read 199 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,987

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Mt. Holly, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  80 reviews

Senior: I have spent ten years at MICS and I have enjoyed my time here. This school has some excellent teachers who have given 110% while teaching and working with students. MICS has a very inclusive and welcoming environment and provides a solid education for students of all grades. As a high school senior, I greatly appreciate the steps the teachers and counselors have taken to ensure everyone is able to graduate and attend college. However, I would like a wider range of clubs and after school activities, almost all attention is put into sports.... Read 80 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,589

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Siler City, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.18 out of 5  38 reviews

Junior: I love the community at this school! Academics are a huge focus here. I will say that there are not many opportunities for those who may not want to go to college. If you are interested in college, I highly recommend it. This school is also not for the faint of heart. To get the best out of your time here, you need to be highly motivated and on-track for your goals.... Read 38 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 569

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Raleigh, NC•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  23 reviews

Senior: Longleaf School of the Arts is an amazing college preparatory school that has a large emphasis on the arts. The school is very diverse and accepting, teachers are great, and the people that attend are super nice. One of the main things I enjoy about the school is the EC program. I have a learning disability, and this school has had the best EC program out of the many schools I have attended over the years. This is such a good school and I would not want to go anywhere else.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 373

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Saxapahaw, NC•

• Public School•

• 4-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  73 reviews

Senior: Hawbridge has outstanding teachers that provide a unique, engaging curriculum for their students. ¨Place-based education¨ allows the natural areas and businesses surrounding the school to be used as a learning resource. Things like sports, electives, and clubs continue to improve each year. This school is not for everyone -- some students thrive better in the traditional public school setting-- but I personally have had a very positive experience as a Hawbridge student. I look forward to seeing how the school grows with the addition of a new building.... Read 73 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 321

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Kernersville, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  25 reviews

Parent: If you want an exceptional educational experience for your child, The North Carolina Leadership Academy is where it's at! My daughter has attended the NCLA charter academy since 3rd grade and she is getting ready to graduate with honors. The school values are laser focused on leadership, community service, educational excellence and growing students to be the best that they can be.... Read 25 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,027

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Charlotte, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.89 out of 5  27 reviews

Senior: Bradford is a smaller school that offers many opportunities to children K-12. It is a very close community and everyone knows everyone. This is helpful for student teacher ratio sizes, allowing everyone to have individual learning time, and connect more with friends.... Read 27 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,491

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Vass, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: When our daughter announced that she would like to start "real school" for 2nd Grade (as opposed to Homeschooling), we dove in to researching the perfect school for the job. STARS Charter was our number one choice. We are so glad that she is able to attend such a wonderful school for her first venture in to public school! Every single teacher, staff member and administrator cares deeply for these kids. Every issue or question I have had is met with compassion and problem solving, immediately. Our daughter is growing academically AND socially & emotionally!... Read 6 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 738

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Durham, NC•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  155 reviews

Alum: I attended Voyager Academy for four years of high school and I grew to love the school as time went on. There are teachers who care deeply about the students and push them to their fullest potential in all aspects. The experience gets better as you become more involved in the school and attend events. My favorite part about attending Voyager was the hours and the project based learning. On the other hand, Voyager could work more on its diversity as there have been times I was the only minority in the classroom and felt as an outsider. Just recently in my last year have they accepted more minorities into their school which I believe has actually helped to improve the culture of the school. Overall, I would rate the school a four out of five, as the administration and teachers genuinely care about and are able to form relationships with the students and I have no regrets attending the school.... Read 155 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,345

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Roxboro, NC•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  81 reviews

Senior: I have had a wonderful experience at Roxboro Community School (RCS). I entered that school in 7th grade and was welcomed by everyone. I used to make B's and C's and now I am an all-A student who is taking AP classes and college classes at the local community college. The teachers at RCS are wonderful and push you to strive for your very best. I also think the community in the school is great, I have a great group of friends and we also help each other out whenever we need it.... Read 81 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 716

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1