North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics has once again been recognized as the best public high school in America in Niche.com’s new ranking of America’s schools – and for the fifth year in a row named the top public high school in North Carolina.

The school’s A+ rating by Niche.com is based on a number of criteria that include qualifications of teachers, rigor and diversity of academic offerings, clubs and activities, parent surveys, and resources and facilities.

“This No. 1 ranking is an incredible public testament to the work our entire community of students, faculty, staff, and supporters is doing to make NCSSM such a truly exceptional experience for our students,” says NCSSM Chancellor Todd Roberts. “We really do try to challenge ourselves to offer the best high school education in the country and pay off on the investment that the people of North Carolina have made in this school. All of the schools highly ranked on this list – and I know folks at many of those institutions – are outstanding schools. I know the amazing work that they do, and to be recognized alongside them truly is an honor.”

Roberts notes that it’s important to always keep such rankings in perspective, particularly in light of the recent catastrophic events that devastated parts of western North Carolina. “Such public acknowledgements as this are to be celebrated, and we certainly want to share some good news in the shadow of all the lives that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Anytime we can say we’re number one, we’re very happy to do it, but we must always remember that at the core of that ranking are people: our faculty, staff, and the greater NCSSM community of alumni, families, and friends.”

NCSSM was founded in Durham in 1980 – and expanded to a second campus in Morganton in 2022 – for the purpose of expanding access to the very best educational opportunities to all of North Carolina’s high school students in a public, residential school setting. Though built around an intensive STEM curriculum, the school also boasts an impressive humanities program and has expanded its reach to thousands more students from all corners of North Carolina through a number of outreach programs that include NCSSM Online, NCSSM Connect, Summer Ventures, and Summer Accelerator, among others.

Applications to the Residential, Online, and Summer Ventures programs open at noon on Oct. 15, 2024, and close on Jan. 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. All three programs are available to admitted North Carolina high school students at no cost for room, board, tuition, and books. NCSSM also offers a wealth of summer programs for 5th through 12th grade students and partners with high schools across North Carolina to offer NCSSM Connect courses via videoconferencing.