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image of Children sitting in a school classroom and text that says 32 Top-Rated Schools in the Greater Charlotte, NC Area

Top-Rated Schools in the Charlotte, NC Area

Author: Jamie Milam

Date: April 25, 2025

Both Charlotte natives and those looking to move to the Queen City know one thing: finding the right school is key when raising a family. Each parent, child, and family unit has their own needs and wishes regarding schools, so selecting the right school district and neighborhood matters when purchasing a home.

Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County, has many excellent school choices, as do the surrounding areas. But with so many options, it can be hard to make decisions that are best for your child and your family's needs. And if there's one thing to learn about working with me, it's that I believe you need to be aware of what your options are to find what's in alignment for you.

It's not uncommon for home buyers to say to me, "Being in a good school district is important to us. So we'd only want to focus on those areas." Well.... first of all, "good" is subjective, and secondly, as your Realtor®, I'm actually limited to what I can share specifically. You see, the Fair Housing Act legally prevents us from steering you into a specific community based on race, color, religion, gender (sex), sexual orientation, disability (handicap), familial status, or national origin.

So it's not that, as your agent, we don't want to give you all the answers; we just need to be cautious about how we navigate that conversation. Sometimes that can leave you feeling like you're not being guided and back to square one. How can you proactively plan down the road if you're not quite sure what's available for you to choose from?

That's exactly what I want to help you with if you're considering buying a home in the greater Charlotte area.

Let me be a resource that gives you a starting point, and offer additional resources to help you choose. This article explores the different types of schools in Charlotte (plus the surrounding area) and breaks down the top-rated private and public schools so you can make an informed choice. There's no way to create an exhaustive list all in this one blog post, but it may help answer that question of "what are the top-rated schools in Charlotte?"

Finding Your Assigned School in Charlotte

Newcomers to the Charlotte area should know that North Carolina is one of the few states without open enrollment policies. This means that students cannot transfer to other public schools outside their zoned school, though you may be able to apply for a lottery to magnet schools (more on that below). To find your assigned school, many of our counties have a website that make it easy to identify simply by inputting your property address:

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Locator for areas like Charlotte, Pineville, Ballantyne, etc
Union County School Locator think Waxhaw, Marvin, Weddington, Indian Trail, Monroe, parts of Matthews, etc
Gaston County School Locator this would be to the west of the Catawba River, like Gastonia, Belmont, Mount Holly
Cabarrus County School Locator covers Concord & Harrisburg
Iredell County School Locator this will be the Lake Norman area, like Mooresville, Statesville, Davidson
York County (SC) School Locator technically South Carolina but covers the majority of Fort Mill, Clover, York, and Rock Hill

Even without open enrollment policies, there is still significant school choice for North Carolina families by way of private, charter, and magnet schools. Parents also have a homeschooling option, subject to specific North Carolina laws.

photo of the Charlotte NC metro area with a text overlay that says How to Find Your Assigned School in Charlotte NC

Types of Schools in Charlotte

photo of students sitting that has text overlay that says 39 of the top schools around Charlotte NC

When choosing what school to send your children to, parents need to understand the different options and what it means for their budget, commutes, time commitment, curriculum preference and desired outcomes.

Here's a breakdown of the types of schools in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) and the surrounding area:

1. Public Schools

As mentioned, North Carolina does not have open enrollment policies, so parents can enroll their children based on where they live. Enrollment is done on the local level through your school district. If you're in Charlotte, you can go straight to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools portal to enroll.

Need-to-know info: The N.C. Department of Public Instruction site also breaks down all public schools in North Carolina, assigning them a letter grade based on school performance, academic growth, achievement scores and other relevant information. Parents can use this to learn more about the schools in their county and make informed decisions based on actual testing performance.

2. Charter Schools

Charter schools in North Carolina are public schools operated by independent non-profit boards of directors. They're typically funded by taxpayers and are independently operated, yet they are not private schools. So while they are accountable to the state assessment and regulations, charter schools have more flexibility than traditional public schools in regards to staff, curriculum, and programs.

Need-to-know info: An application must be submitted directly to the charter school you want your child to attend. CauseIQ has a comprehensive list of all the charter schools in the area that includes their financials and the school's direct website, which typically will also include their school report card. All students are eligible to attend, and charter schools cannot discriminate in admissions nor be religiously affiliated.

3. Magnet Schools

Magnet schools are a type of public school that offers specialized programs or curricula. This is a great option if you have a child who is more focused on specific academics or STEM subjects. You can find performance information for these on the N.C. DPI site mentioned above. Mecklenburg County (Charlotte and area) offers a variety of school choices like:

International Baccalaureate
Leadership
Montessori
STEAM/STEM
Visual and performing arts
World languages

Enrollment in magnet schools is done by a lottery system; available seats are allocated across three socioeconomic status categories to achieve a diverse student population. Once enrolled, there are guarantees that you can advance to the next level of the magnet theme, and siblings are also guaranteed a spot in the school.

Need-to-know info: Magnet schools have a transportation zone priority—applicants living in the zone are given priority over those outside, though a number of seats are also allocated to families outside the neighborhood attendance boundary. This is important to remember if you want to buy a home in Charlotte and want your children to attend a specific magnet school. If you've identified a specific school you are most interested in, a knowledgeable Charlotte REALTOR® can help you navigate neighborhoods that are in the vicinity.

4. Private Schools

The last type of school in Charlotte and beyond is private schools. Unlike the other three, they are run independently and are usually college preparatory, religiously affiliated, or otherwise aligned with special interests. These schools are exempt from the North Carolina public school laws and policies and are regulated independently.

Need-to-know information: Private school enrollment is done by applying directly to the school. Private school tuition can range from $10,000-$30,000 per year, depending on school, program, and grade level.

Axios released a list highlighting 14 of the biggest private schools in the Charlotte area, but you can also find the full comprehensive list for NC private schools on the N.C. Department of Administration website. Navigate down to the middle point of the page to click for the directory, which will download as a spreadsheet so you can organize it by county.

Another major source for school ratings is GreatSchools.org. This is the most common resource I see used across home search platforms, blogs, and even buyers directly. Learn more about how they rate and rank their schools here.

Top-Rated Schools in Charlotte Mecklenburg School District

Schools differ in many ways, and it's up to parents to evaluate the best choice for their students. While impossible to achieve a definitive ranking of the best schools, it is possible to explore top-rated schools in Charlotte and the surrounding areas based on publicly available data on the North Carolina School Report Cards website, which assigns letter grades based on school performance, academic growth, college preparedness, and other useful indicators.

To dive into top-rated schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, I reviewed the North Carolina School Report Cards website.

Pro tip: To learn more about each school, you can sort by districts and then look at a specific district to view individual schools, their ratings, and various metrics like course sizes, access to books and devices, teacher qualifications, performance, and more.

Grades served: 9-12

School Type: Public

15. Harrisburg Elementary School (Lancaster County)

10251 Harrisburg Road, Indian Land, SC 29707

Grades served: PK-4

School type: Public

7301 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270

Grades served: PK-12

Parents considering private schools in Charlotte or the surrounding areas can look at the North Carolina Department of Administration's website for a full list of available schools. Because each school is run independently, parents need to do their homework and evaluate each option. You can use Niche and Private School Review as resources to compare and contrast different private school options in and around Charlotte.

Choosing a school for your children is no small decision. And if you're thinking of moving to Charlotte, it can be a big factor—along with the general cost-of-living, commuting, and lifestyle choices—in determining if it's the right city for you.

If you are planning a move to Charlotte or other parts of North Carolina, you need to find the right real estate agent for you—someone who knows and understands the area and can help you find your dream home and dream school for your kids. I'd love to be part of this journey with you—contact me today and we'll get started!

To finding the right school,

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About Me

I'm Jamie Milam, a determined AF woman who's embraced life after divorce by finding peace through self-awareness, intentional decision-making, and thrilling new travel adventures.

As a Realtor® in Charlotte, NC (and your connection to top agents nationwide), I’m passionate about guiding you through your homeownership and design goals—while also helping you create space for the things you love. My mission is to empower you to create a life of alignment too - at home, abroad, and within.

Whether it’s through real estate tips, home design inspiration, or solo travel experiences for divorced, independent women, I hope this space encourages you to discover deeper self-awareness and build a life that aligns with your passions and needs.

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Jamie Milam is a Realtor® in the Charlotte, NC area, licensed in both NC & SC, and has the ability to refer you to a number of agent partners across the nation, regardless of where you may live. She is an enthusiast for the power of awareness and believes it can be used in all facets of life to support aligned living.

**Disclosure** This post may contain affiliate links and they are at no additional cost to you, though I may earn a small commission. Don't worry, I only recommend products or services that I have tried or believe would be of great value to you! All opinions expressed are those of my own!