NC school ranked top public high school in the U.S. See who else made the 2023 list.

A North Carolina school has been named the best public high school in the United States by a national ranking website.

Niche.com moved the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham to the top of the list after ranking it last year as the second-best public high school in America. The website also released Tuesday its 2023 national and state-by-state rankings of K-12 schools and districts.

Another Triangle school — Raleigh Charter High School — was ranked No. 31 in the nation among public high schools.

Top school lists released by U.S. News & World Report and other groups rely on test scores, academic performance and graduation data. But Niche also factors in ratings from current students, alumni, and parents.

“Some of the biggest decisions that parents face have to do with their children’s education,” Luke Skurman, founder and CEO of Niche, said in a news release. “We strive to put as much power in their hands as possible so they can make informed decisions with confidence.

“Our 2023 rankings surface key insights and data points for parents everywhere to use in their school search,” he said. “We’re honored that millions of families consider us a reliable resource during such a pivotal moment in their lives.”

Go to www.niche.com/k12/rankings/ to view the full rankings.

School serves gifted NC students

Science and Math is a statewide residential boarding school serving some of the state’s most academically gifted high school juniors and seniors. The school is part of the UNC system.

It opened as the nation’s first public, residential STEM high school in 1980 in the former Watts Hospital in Durham. A second campus in Morganton opened this fall.

In February 2021, the school announced it’s getting a new academic commons area and renovated dorms at its Durham campus thanks to a record $7.5 million gift from an alumnus, The News & Observer previously reported.

The donation is the largest in the school’s history and is tied for the third largest gift to a public high school in the United States, according to the school.

Best NC public high schools

The top five North Carolina public high schools, according to Niche, were:

▪ N.C. School of Science and Mathematics

▪ The Early College at Guilford

▪ Raleigh Charter High School

▪ Green Hope High School in Cary

▪ Enloe High School in Raleigh

Best NC private high schools

The top five North Carolina private high schools, according to Niche, were:

▪ Cary Academy

▪ Durham Academy

▪ Providence Day School in Charlotte

▪ Asheville School

▪ Charlotte Country Day School