Total enrollment
170,260
+7,076 (+4%) vs SY 2017-18
Mecklenburg County
North Carolina · Public K-12
Mecklenburg County's 226 public schools sit inside North Carolina and collectively enroll about 170,407 K-12 students across 138 elementary, 31 middle, and 40 high.
7-year change in Mecklenburg County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
220
+17 (+8%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
24%
was 30%
% Hispanic
29%
was 23%
% Black
35%
was 38%
% Asian
7%
was 7%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
1,154,681
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
226
40 districts
Enrollment
170,407
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$87,005
Above North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
70.5%
Below North Carolina avg
Elementary
138
78,866 students
Middle
31
27,054 students
High
40
48,481 students
Combined / other
17
16,006 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
145,014 students · 40 districts in Mecklenburg County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Mecklenburg County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
49.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.4%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.3%
civilian labor
Median age
36
22.8% under 18
Test scores in Mecklenburg County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 175 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Central Piedmont Early College· 94.2%
- Char Eng Early College-UNCC· 91.8%
- Knights View Elementary School· 90.7%
- Providence High School· 89.1%
- Providence Spring Elementary· 89.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Starmount Academy of Excellence· 16.0%
- Winterfield Elementary· 17.0%
- Hidden Valley Elementary· 18.0%
- Nations Ford Elementary· 18.7%
- South Pine Academy· 19.3%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Community School | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-08 | 250 | · |
| Lincoln Heights Montessori | Charlotte | Elementary | PK-06 | 244 | · |
| Hawthorne Academy of Health Sciences | Charlotte | High | 09-12 | 239 | · |
| Lakeside Charter Academy | Cornelius | Elementary | KG-08 | 221 | · |
| Levine Middle College High Sch | Matthews | High | 11-13 | 216 | · |
| University Park Creative Arts | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-05 | 212 | · |
| Movement School Northwest | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-02 | 208 | · |
| East Voyager Academy of Charlotte | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-08 | 200 | · |
| Charlotte Teacher Early College | Charlotte | High | 09-13 | 192 | · |
| Merancas Middle College-CPCC | Huntersville | High | 11-13 | 176 | · |
| Cato Middle College High School | Charlotte | High | 11-13 | 173 | · |
| Charlotte Secondary | Charlotte | High | 06-12 | 157 | · |
| Villa Heights Elementary | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-05 | 153 | · |
| VERITAS Community School CFA | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-08 | 147 | · |
| Turning Point Academy | Charlotte | High | 09-12 | 144 | · |
| Harper Middle College High | Charlotte | High | 11-13 | 125 | · |
| Niner University Elementary | Charlotte | Elementary | KG-05 | 125 | · |
| Elbert Edwin Waddell High School | Charlotte | High | 09-12 | 123 | · |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Academy | Charlotte | Combined | KG-12 | 91 | · |
| Military and Global Leadership | Charlotte | High | 09-12 | 71 | · |
| Turning Point Middle | Charlotte | Middle | 06-08 | 62 | · |
| Telra Institute Remote Academy | Charlotte | Middle | 07-08 | 0 | · |
| Eastside STREAM Academy | Charlotte | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| GO BIG | Charlotte | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Honor Prep | Charlotte | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Invest Collegiate Transform | Charlotte | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Mecklenburg County
About Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County is a population-heavy county of about 1,154,681 residents in North Carolina. Its public-school system instructs approximately 170,407 students across 226 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $87,005 a year, roughly 49% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 38% noticeably above the North Carolina median.
For a sense of the school types, Mecklenburg County is made up of 138 elementary schools (78,866 students), 31 middle schools (27,054), 40 high schools (48,481), and 17 combined or other schools.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 145,014 students on its own.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment rose 4%: 163,184 students in SY 2017-18 versus 170,260 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 203 to 220 across the same 7-year window. Demographically, the Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 23% to 29%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Mecklenburg County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Mecklenburg County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data