Total enrollment
45,341
+1,520 (+3%) vs SY 2017-18
72 schools in Durham
North Carolina · Public K-12
From elementary through high school, Durham runs 72 public K-12 campuses (41 elementary, 9 middle, and 15 high), with combined enrollment of about 45,341.
7-year change in Durham
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
69
+2 (+3%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
23%
was 24%
% Hispanic
33%
was 28%
% Black
35%
was 42%
% Asian
3%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
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 7-year window, public-school enrollment rose 3%: 43,821 students in SY 2017-18 versus 45,341 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 67 to 69 across the same 7-year window. On the demographic side, Black enrollment moved from 42% to 35% over the same 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.