Top private schools near Raleigh, NC: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Raleigh on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official Opportunity Scholarship list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 49 private schools in Raleigh or within 6 miles of downtown. Each list below uses one measure, says where it comes from and shows the top 10. A school can rank high on one measure and not appear on another, so read the lists together. We leave out any list with fewer than 5 qualifying schools, and no school can pay to appear or move up.
- Most graduates going on to a 4-year college (17 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (28 ranked)
- Largest schools (35 ranked)
- On the official Opportunity Scholarship list (35 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (6 ranked)
Most graduates going on to a 4-year college
Share of each high school’s graduates who went on to a 4-year college, as the school reported it. Only the 17 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 4 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trinity Academy | 100% | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | St. Mary's School | 100% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Montessori School of Raleigh | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Word of God Christian Academy | 100% | 6-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Cardinal Gibbons | 99% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | North Raleigh Christian Academy | 99% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 7 | Ravenscroft School | 98% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Grace Christian School | 93% | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 9 | Neuse Christian Academy | 92% | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Raleigh Christian Academy | 90% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 17 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 28 schools with at least 50 students (so very small schools do not fill the list). This ratio is the closest measure of class size in the federal data; actual class sizes can be larger.
| # | School | Students per teacher | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montessori School of Raleigh | 3.8 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 2 | Fusion Raleigh | 4.5 students per teacher | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | The Fletcher Academy | 5 students per teacher | 2-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | An-Noor School | 6.5 students per teacher | 3-8 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Iron Academy | 7.4 students per teacher | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Ravenscroft School | 8 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Neuse Christian Academy | 8.2 students per teacher | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Follow the Child Montessori School | 8.2 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 4 mi |
| 9 | The Raleigh School | 9.4 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 5 mi |
| 10 | Raleigh Christian Academy | 9.5 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 28 ranked schools.
Largest schools
Kindergarten to grade 12 enrollment each school reported, largest first. Pre-K children are not counted in the federal figure.
| # | School | Students (K-12) | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardinal Gibbons | 1,590 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | North Raleigh Christian Academy | 1,568 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Ravenscroft School | 1,215 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Wake Christian Academy | 926 students | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 5 | Grace Christian School | 874 students | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | The Franciscan School | 668 students | K-8 | 8 mi |
| 7 | Trinity Academy | 612 students | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | St. Timothys School | 548 students | PreK-8 | under 1 mi |
| 9 | Thales Academy of Raleigh | 488 students | K-8 | 5 mi |
| 10 | Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School | 464 students | K-8 | under 1 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 35 ranked schools.
On the official Opportunity Scholarship list
35 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Raleigh. Schools whose list entry covers only pre-K or kindergarten are left out here. Being on the list means the program can pay this school; it says nothing about quality.
| # | School | Distance from downtown | Grades |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Trilogy School | under 1 mi | 2-12 |
| 2 | St. Timothys School | under 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 3 | St. David's School | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 4 | St. David's School | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 5 | Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School | under 1 mi | K-8 |
| 6 | The Fletcher Academy | 2 mi | 2-12 |
| 7 | St. Raphael Catholic School | 2 mi | K-8 |
| 8 | Friendship Christian School | 2 mi | PreK-12 |
| 9 | Wake Monarch Academy | 3 mi | 9-12 |
| 10 | Montessori School of Raleigh | 3 mi | PreK-12 |
Source: the state’s official Opportunity Scholarship list (read October 5, 2026). Showing 10 of 35 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 6 of the 49 schools near Raleigh, so a school missing here may cost less. Ranked by the cheapest grade band each school publishes; required fees can be extra.
| # | School | Published yearly tuition | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Raleigh Christian Academy | $6,564 to $12,564 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Grace Christian School | $12,200 to $15,600 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 3 | The Franciscan School | $13,924 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 8 mi |
| 4 | St. Timothys School | $16,200 to $21,770 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | under 1 mi |
| 5 | Cardinal Gibbons | $20,395, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Ravenscroft School | $21,085 to $34,190 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Raleigh?
There is no single best school, and we do not rank schools by opinion or reviews. The right school depends on your child, your faith, your budget and your commute. The lists on this page rank the 49 private schools within 6 miles of Raleigh on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Raleigh private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
4 of the 17 high schools near Raleigh that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Trinity Academy, St. Mary's School and Montessori School of Raleigh (2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey). The list on this page shows them largest first.
Can a school pay to appear on these lists or move up?
No. Every list is sorted by the measure it names, and the source is printed under each list. Sponsored boxes elsewhere on the site are labelled and never change these lists.
Where do the figures come from?
Enrollment, students per teacher and college-going come from the 2023-24 Private School Universe survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, as each school reported them. The Opportunity Scholarship list is the one the state publishes (read October 5, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.