What are the Charlotte area’s top high schools? See the 2025 US News list
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Fifteen Charlotte-region public high schools ranked in North Carolina's top 50.
- Highland School of Technology leads region, ranks No. 11 statewide in 2025.
- STEM-focused schools like Charlotte Engineering Early College gain prominence.
Fifteen high schools from the Charlotte region earned spots among the top 50 in North Carolina in the newest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Highland School of Technology kept its spot at the top of the Charlotte-area rankings in the U.S. News & World Report 2025-26 Best High Schools rankings released Tuesday, Aug. 19, but its statewide ranking dropped one spot from No. 10 to No. 11 – meaning no school in the area landed in the top 10.
But a handful of traditional, charter and early college high schools are featured among the top high schools in the Charlotte area, according to U.S. News.
Here’s what you need to know about the top public high schools in the Charlotte area.
Top Charlotte-area public high schools
The top 10 public high schools in the Charlotte-metro area (which includes Mecklenburg, Union, Gaston, Lincoln and Iredell counties) are:
- Highland School of Technology (No. 11 in the state and No. 392 nationally)
- Charlotte Engineering Early College (No. 14 in the state and No. 572 nationally)
- Marvin Ridge High School (No. 15 in the state and No. 604 nationally)
- Pine Lake Preparatory (No. 17 in the state and No. 621 nationally)
- Lake Norman Charter (No. 19 in the state and No. 643 nationally)
- Providence High School (No. 20 in the state and No. 656 nationally)
- Central Academy of Technology and Arts (No. 21 in the state and No. 676 nationally)
- Ardrey Kell High School (No. 22 in the state and No. 678 nationally)
- Community School of Davidson (No. 25 in the state and No. 767 nationally)
- Weddington High School (No. 32 in the state and No. 963 nationally)
Williams Secondary Montessori (No. 37), Bradford Preparatory School (No. 41), Northwest School of the Arts (No. 42), William Amos Hough High School (No. 45) and Cuthbertson High School (No. 49) also ranked in the top 50 in the state, according to U.S. News.
The best schools in the Charlotte area aren’t in Charlotte
According to the U.S. News rankings, hardly any of the best high schools in the area are in Charlotte.
Highland School of Technology in Gaston County took the No. 1 spot, and Marvin Ridge and Weddington in Union County received high marks. Lake Norman Charter and Community School of Davidson, both in the Lake Norman area, also ranked high on the list.
Charlotte schools do show up on the list, though, with Charlotte Engineering Early College at No. 14 statewide, and Providence and Ardrey Kell not far behind.
STEM-based schools lead the pack
The latest U.S. News rankings show STEM-based schools are making waves, with the top two schools known for their focus on science, engineering and real-world prep.
Highland School of Technology, a National Blue Ribbon honoree, has hands-on academies in everything from dental science to manufacturing engineering, with students able to graduate with internships and industry credentials like Cisco or AutoCAD.
At Charlotte Engineering Early College, students can get a head start on both high school and college. Located right on UNC Charlotte’s campus, it lets students complete two years of high school and then spend up to three years earning UNC Charlotte credits, all tuition-free and packed with engineering, energy and sustainability classes.
What about private schools?
Niche, a website that collects data on K-12 schools and colleges in the U.S. to aid students and families when deciding on enrollment, released its list of the top private schools in North Carolina earlier this year, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Just two Charlotte-are private schools made the top 10: Providence Day School at No. 4 and Charlotte Country Day School, taking the No. 8 spot.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 10:45 AM.
