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2026 SCHOOL RANKINGS

Best Schools in Charlotte NC

The top elementary, middle, and high schools across Charlotte, Union County, and Fort Mill — with verified rankings from SchoolDigger, Niche, and the NC Department of Public Instruction. Plus the high schools that produced Stephen Curry, Drake Maye, and more.

186
Schools in CMS
143,940
CMS students
17:1
Student-teacher ratio
3
School districts in metro

Top 10 Elementary Schools in the Charlotte Area

Always verify the school assigned to a specific address — boundaries change year to year.

#1

Rea Farms STEAM Academy

CMSZIP 28277

Top 1% of NC elementary schools (SchoolDigger). STEAM-focused magnet-style program in Ballantyne.

#2

Elon Park Elementary

CMSZIP 28277

Top 1% of NC elementary schools. South Charlotte; Ardrey Kell HS feeder.

#3

Polo Ridge Elementary

CMSZIP 28277

Top 1% of NC. Ballantyne feeder pattern; Community House MS → Ardrey Kell HS.

#4

Providence Spring Elementary

CMSZIP 28270

Consistently top-rated in NC. Feeds J.M. Robinson MS and Providence HS.

#5

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy

CHARTERZIP 28273

Charter school for academically gifted students. Statewide enrollment, lottery.

#6

Weddington Elementary

UCPS (UNION COUNTY)ZIP 28104

Anchor of the Weddington feeder pattern. Top 15 in NC at the elementary level.

#7

Marvin Elementary

UCPS (UNION COUNTY)ZIP 28173

Marvin Ridge feeder. Among the highest-rated elementary schools in UCPS.

#8

Davidson Elementary

CMSZIP 28036

Davidson Town anchor school. Walkable, college-town feeder into William Amos Hough HS.

#9

Hawk Ridge Elementary

CMSZIP 28277

Strong test scores. Ballantyne — feeds Community House MS.

#10

Dilworth Elementary

CMSZIP 28203

In-town family pick. Walkable Dilworth ZIP; feeds Myers Park HS.

Top 10 Middle Schools in the Charlotte Area

Always verify the school assigned to a specific address — boundaries change year to year.

#1

Weddington Middle

UCPSZIP 28104

#6 middle school in North Carolina (CarolinaSchoolHub 2026).

#2

Jay M. Robinson Middle

CMSZIP 28277

#14 in NC. South Charlotte feeder; high test-score growth.

#3

Community House Middle

CMSZIP 28277

#16 in NC. Ballantyne; feeds Ardrey Kell HS.

#4

Marvin Ridge Middle

UCPSZIP 28173

Marvin feeder. One of the most sought-after middle schools in the state.

#5

South Charlotte Middle

CMSZIP 28226

Top-tier CMS middle school. Feeds Providence HS.

#6

Cuthbertson Middle

UCPSZIP 28173

Waxhaw / Marvin area. Strong academic and athletic programs.

#7

Bailey Middle

CMSZIP 28078

North Mecklenburg; feeds William Amos Hough HS.

#8

Quail Hollow Middle

CMSZIP 28210

South Charlotte feeder into Providence/South Meck pattern.

#9

Carmel Middle

CMSZIP 28226

Established south Charlotte option. Solid test scores and IB programs.

#10

Crestdale Middle

CMSZIP 28105

Matthews; feeds Providence HS for most addresses.

Top 10 High Schools in the Charlotte Area

Always verify the school assigned to a specific address — boundaries change year to year.

#1

Providence High School

CMSZIP 28270

Ranked #14 high school in NC (97th percentile statewide). Letter grade A from NC DPI.

#2

Ardrey Kell High School

CMSZIP 28277

#10 in NC (Niche 2026); #16 in NC (CarolinaSchoolHub). Letter grade A. Ballantyne.

#3

Marvin Ridge High School

UCPSZIP 28173

#14 in NC (Niche 2026). The Marvin feeder is one of the most coveted K–12 paths in the state.

#4

Weddington High School

UCPSZIP 28173

Top 25 in NC. Estate-style community; athletic powerhouse + strong academics.

#5

Myers Park High School

CMSZIP 28209

92nd percentile in NC. Charlotte's most historic public high school. Drake Maye alma mater (NFL, Patriots).

#6

William Amos Hough High School

CMSZIP 28036

Davidson / north Mecklenburg flagship. Strong academics and Division I athletic pipeline.

#7

Cuthbertson High School

UCPSZIP 28173

Waxhaw area. Strong dual-enrollment and AP programs.

#8

Charlotte Engineering Early College @ UNCC

CMS (EARLY COLLEGE)ZIP 28223

Top public early college in the metro. Application-based; students earn college credits.

#9

Central Piedmont Early College

CMS (EARLY COLLEGE)ZIP 28204

Top early-college program. Smaller cohort; dual-enrollment focus.

#10

Nation Ford High School

FORT MILL SD (YORK COUNTY, SC)ZIP 29708

Top-rated Fort Mill option. The SC alternative for families just south of the state line.

FUN FACT

Pro Athletes Who Went to Charlotte Schools

Charlotte's schools have launched some of the most recognizable names in American sports. Here's where the most famous Charlotte athletes actually went to school.

🏀

Stephen Curry

NBA · GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Four-time NBA Champion, two-time MVP, and arguably the greatest shooter in basketball history. Played JV as a 5'7" 130-pound sophomore before growing into a varsity star. His #20 jersey is retired by Charlotte Christian.

High School

Charlotte Christian School

Private K-12 · Charlotte (28270)

🏀

Seth Curry

NBA

NBA guard and Stephen's younger brother. Played at Charlotte Christian before going to Liberty and Duke.

High School

Charlotte Christian School

Private K-12 · Charlotte (28270)

🏈

Drake Maye

NFL · NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Starting quarterback for the Patriots. Was the #3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after a standout career at UNC.

High School

Myers Park High School

CMS Public · Charlotte (28209) — #5 on our list

🏀

Bobby Jones

NBA · 1983 CHAMPION, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Four-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-Defensive Team, and the first Sixth Man of the Year award winner in NBA history.

High School

South Mecklenburg High School

CMS Public · Charlotte (28210)

🏀

Walter Davis

NBA · 1977 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Six-time NBA All-Star. Won back-to-back NC state championships at South Mecklenburg in 1971 and 1972 as the team MVP.

High School

South Mecklenburg High School

CMS Public · Charlotte (28210)

Athlete-to-school connections sourced from Wikipedia, ESPN, NBA.com, MaxPreps, and Basketball-Reference. Charlotte Christian retired Stephen Curry's #20 jersey (NBA.com).

The Three Districts That Matter for Charlotte Families

The Charlotte metro spans three major public school districts. The district you land in usually matters more than which neighborhood you pick.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg (CMS)

Mecklenburg County · 186 schools · 143,940 students

  • Strongest zones: South Charlotte (Ballantyne, Providence, Myers Park) and north Mecklenburg (Davidson, Hough feeder)
  • Top high schools: Providence, Ardrey Kell, Myers Park, Hough
  • Watch out: Quality varies dramatically by zone. Always verify the assigned school for the specific address.
  • Magnets & early colleges: Lottery-based; available across the district.
HIGHEST-RATED OVERALL

Union County Public Schools (UCPS)

Union County, NC · ~42,000 students

  • Top feeders: Weddington, Marvin Ridge, Cuthbertson
  • Marvin Ridge HS: #14 in NC (Niche 2026)
  • Weddington Middle: #6 in NC (CarolinaSchoolHub 2026)
  • Trade-off: 35–55 min commute to Uptown. Very car-dependent.

Fort Mill School District

York County, SC · ~18,000 students

  • Consistently top-rated SC district
  • Top high schools: Nation Ford, Fort Mill, Catawba Ridge
  • Bonus: Newer school facilities and 2,100-acre Anne Springs Close Greenway in the district.
  • Trade-off: Cross-state tax filing if you work in NC.

Private & Magnet Schools Worth Knowing

Beyond the public-school zones, Charlotte has a strong private and magnet school ecosystem. A few names that come up over and over:

Charlotte Country Day School

Private K-12 · 28226

Largest and most established private school in Charlotte.

Charlotte Christian School

Private K-12 · 28270

Stephen and Seth Curry's alma mater. Strong academic + athletic mix.

Providence Day School

Private K-12 · 28270

Highly ranked private with strong academics and arts.

Charlotte Latin School

Private K-12 · 28226

Top-rated private school, traditional college-prep.

Northwest School of the Arts

CMS Magnet · 28206

Public magnet for performing & visual arts. Application-based.

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy

Charter · 28273

Charter for academically gifted students. Statewide enrollment, lottery.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the ranking source, but Providence High School (#14 in NC) and Ardrey Kell High School (#10 in NC per Niche 2026, with an A grade from the NC DPI) are consistently the top-ranked CMS public high schools. In Union County, Marvin Ridge High (#14 NC) and Weddington High (Top 25) lead. All four compete head-to-head in different rankings.

VERIFIED DATA

Sources & Data

  • School rankings: SchoolDigger NC Rankings (schooldigger.com), Niche 2026 Best Charlotte Area Schools (niche.com), and CarolinaSchoolHub 2026 rankings. North Carolina state assessment data is from the NC Department of Public Instruction.
  • CMS district stats: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Fast Facts (cmsk12.org) — enrollment and student-teacher ratio for the 2025–2026 school year.
  • UCPS: Union County Public Schools (ucps.k12.nc.us).
  • Fort Mill SD: Fort Mill School District (fortmillschools.org).
  • Athlete alumni: NBA.com, ESPN, Basketball-Reference (basketball-reference.com), MaxPreps, and Wikipedia.

School rankings are updated annually after NC End-of-Grade and End-of-Course test results are released. Always verify the school assigned to a specific address through the official CMS, UCPS, or Fort Mill School Locator before making real-estate decisions.

Need Help Picking the Right School Zone?

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