Total enrollment
45,341
+883 (+2%) vs SY 2020-21
72 schools in Durham
North Carolina · Public K-12
From elementary through high school, Durham runs 72 public K-12 schools (41 elementary, 9 middle, and 15 high), with combined enrollment of about 45,341.
4-year change in Durham
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
69
+2 (+3%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
291,467
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Students
45,341
public K-12 · NCES
Schools
72
public K-12
About Durham
Durham is a sizable North Carolina city in terms of public-school footprint, with 72 schools and 45,341 students total.
In terms of grade levels, the city is made up of 41 elementary, 9 middle, 15 high, and 7 other.
Average school size in Durham is around 630 students, 10% meaningfully above the North Carolina average of about 571.
Five-year track record. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment held roughly steady: 44,458 students in SY 2020-21 versus 45,341 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 67 to 69 across the same 4-year window.
On allk12, the community for Durham discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.