Best Private Schools in Raleigh, NC – 2025

College Admissions Highlights:  A five year sample of matriculations from Durham Academy include these fine institutions: BC, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, GaTech, Harvard, Howard, Middlebury, NYU, NC State, Northeastern, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Skidmore, Stanford, Tennessee, UC Berkeley, UChicago, UMichigan, Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, William & Mary, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Average class size of 15 with an 8:1 student to faculty ratio.  49% students of color in upper school. 86% of upper school faculty have advance degrees with the average tenure of 11 years. 31 AP & 10 Advanced (beyond AP) courses. 3 Consecutive state speech & debate championships. 29 athletic teams with 57 student-athletes playing in college in past 5 years. All students in high school participate in a ‘capstone’ experience for a week.

College Admissions Highlights:  Students from Cary Academy have matriculated to theses fine institutions over a 3 year period: BU, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, William & Mary, Davidson, Duke, Elon, Ga Tech, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, NC State, Pomona, Princeton, Purdue, Rice, Stanford, Tufts, UChicago, UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame, UNC Chapel Hill, USC, Vanderbilt, VaTech, Villanova, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  61% students of color.  20 year-long & 25 semester-long advanced courses. 92% scored a 3 or higher on AP exams. 18 National Merit finalists and 19 Commended for the class of 2024.  50+ clubs and activities.  11th graders are given the opportunity to try on a career. 81% of eligible students compete in one of the 48 interscholastic sports teams.  Competitive speech and debate program.

College Admissions Highlights:  In the last five years, students from Ravenscroft were accepted to these fine universities and colleges: American, Baylor, BC, Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Dartmouth, Denison, Drexel, Embry-Riddle, Georgetown, Hofstra, Howard, Johns Hopkins, Loyola, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Pepperdine, Purdue, Skidmore, SMU, Swarthmore, William & Mary, UT Austin, Tennessee, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, U Mass, U Michgian, UNC Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Vassar, VaTech, Wake Forest, and WashingtonU.

Academic Highlights:  8:1 student to teacher ratio with average class size of 15. 36% self identified students of color. 78% of faculty have advanced degrees. 24 AP & 33 honors courses. 20 hours of community service per student. 80% of middle & upper school students participate in athletics. 59% of student participate in fine arts.

College Admissions Highlights:  Colleges and universities Trinity School graduates have matriculated include: American, BU, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, DePaul, Duke, Emory, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Middlebury, Northeastern, Notre Dame, NC State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rice, Stanford, Swarthmore, U Chicago, Florida, UNC Chapel Hill, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UVA, Vanderbilt, Va Tech, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, Wheaton, Williams, and  WPI

Academic Highlights:  Average class size of 14 students, with a 8:1 student to faculty ratio. 20 upper school faculty hold an advanced degree. Seniors complete a capstone project which includes 75-100 hours of guided work. 20+ honors courses. 20+ upper school athletic teams. Art program includes drama, visual, vocal, band, and strings opportunity.

College Admissions Highlights:  Colleges and universities that have accepted Gibbons student in the past 3 years: BC, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, GaTech, George Washington, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, NC State, Northeastern, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas A&M, US Air Force Acad, UCLA, UGA, UMichigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, USC, Penn, VaTech, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, and William & Mary.

Academic Highlights:  25 AP & 4 Advanced courses.  81% of AP Exam takers scored a 3 or higher.  3 National Merit Scholarship winners recently. 75% of educators possess at least a master’s degree. 50+ co-curriculars. 900+ student athletes participate in 51 sports teams. 128 state championships. Dance, drama, music and visual are all opportunities in the fine arts program.

College Admissions Highlights:  Colleges and universities graduates from the last five years were accepted to include: Auburn, Baylor, BC, Bucknell, UCLA, Case Western, Clemson, Cornell, Drexel, Duke, Florida, FSU, George Washington, GaTech, Hamilton, Hofstra, Howard, Johns Hopkins, Loyola, Miami, Michigan, NYU, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, Northeastern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rice, USC, SMU, Tennessee, TCU, Tufts, Vanderbilt, VaTech, Wake Forest, Washinton U, Wheaton, William & Mary, and Wisconsin-Madison.

Academic Highlights:  Average class size 11, with a 1:8  teacher to student ratio. 78% of upper school faculty hold advanced degrees. 20 AP courses offered. Senior seminar and speaker series helps future graduates examine moral frameworks in society. Offers a 5 year Greek and 6 year Latin programs.  20 athletic teams and visual & performing arts programs. At least 80 hours of community service before graduation.

College Admissions Highlights:  Students from Saint Mary’s have gone onto these fine institutions: Barnard, BC, BU, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Duke, Emory, NYU, NC State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pepperdine, Princeton, Tufts, UCLA, U Chicago, UF, U Miami, U Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, Pitt, U Richmond, UVA, Wake Forest, William & Mary, and Wellesley.

Academic Highlights:  Saint Mary’s is an all girls school. Average class size is 14 with an 8:1 student to faculty ratio.  80% of the faculty hold advanced degrees. 40% of students board. 14 states and 12 countries represented in student body. 21 AP classes. 19 athletic teams in 12 sports.  30+ clubs and student organizations.

College Admissions Highlights:  Carolina Friends have sent students to the following prestigious institutions over the last 9 years: American, BU, Bryn Mawr, Case Western, William & Mary, Davidson, Drexel, Duke, Emory, Furman, GaTech, Kenyon, NYU, NC State, Northwestern, Oberlin, Pomona, Stanford, Swarthmore, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, UVA, & Wake Forest.

Academic Highlights:  The upper school uses a non-graded, non-ranked narrative evaluation system. Carolina Friends is a part of the Green Schools Alliance to help with global sustainability. 12 student organized extracurricular clubs. 18 teams in 8 sports. Performing arts include dance, music and theatre.  Service learning is a part of the curriculum. American Sign Language is one of the modern languages offered.

College Admissions Highlights:  A sampling of college acceptances over the last five years has trinity graduates going to: App State, Baylor, BU, Clemson, Davidson, Duke, Furman, George Washington, GaTech, Haverford, NC State, Penn State, Purdue, RPI, Spelman, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCI, UConn, Georgia, UMass, Miami, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, UVA, Va Tech, Wake Forest, Wheaton, and William & Mary.

Academic Highlights:  Faculty to student ratio 1:9. 64% of upper school faculty have a graduate degree. 9 AP & 22 honors courses. 83% scored a 3 or higher on AP Exams. 36% of students play 2 or 3 sports and there have been 5 state championships in the last 4 years. 38% of students enroll in 2 fine arts classes.

College Admissions Highlights:  Recent college acceptances include these colleges and universities: American, App State, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Cornell, Davidson, Dartmouth, Drexel, Duke, George Washington, Haverford, LSU, Johns Hopkins, NYU, NC State, Oberlin, Skidmore, Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill, VaTech, Wake Forest, & Wellesley.

Academic Highlights:  54 acre campus with a farm and woodshop. Waldorf high school students can do an exchange with other Waldorf schools up to a semester. Each class travels for a week long curriculum trip in May. Juniors complete a one-week internship. Seniors do an independent project with presentation. 5 athletic teams including Ultimate Frisbee.