Research Triangle High School, 3106 E. N.C. Highway 54: grades 9 to 12, 567 students in 2024-25 and a B (83) state grade.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 assessment data and report card data, the federal NCES school directory and the NCHSAA’s 2025-29 realignment.
Research Triangle High School is a tuition-free public charter school for grades 9 to 12 at 3106 E. N.C. Highway 54 in Durham. It is not run by Durham Public Schools: charter schools have their own boards and no attendance zones, and any North Carolina child can apply. It is a STEM-focused college preparatory high school of about 575 to 600 students, across N.C. 54 from Boxyard RTP, according to its admissions FAQ. The campus has a Durham mailing address but sits just outside the city limits, on the city’s limits map.
Who to call
- Front office: 919-998-6757, 3106 E. N.C. Highway 54
- School website: researchtrianglehighschool.org
- Applying: the school itself, not the district; see How admission works below
- Zoned district schools for an address: the DPS school locator
| Address | 3106 E. N.C. Highway 54, Durham, NC 27713 |
| Phone | 919-998-6757 |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Run by | Its own nonprofit board (public charter school) |
| Calendar | Traditional |
| Mascot | Raptors |
| State school code | 32N000 |
School leaders
Principal Akiba Griffin, according to the school’s faculty and staff page.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: an average daily membership of 567 students in the 2024-25 school year, up from 558 in 2023-24, according to the state’s report card data.
- Federal count: 564 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 14 students per teacher.
State report card
North Carolina gives every public school an A to F School Performance Grade, based 80% on achievement on state tests and other measures and 20% on academic growth, according to the state’s 2025-26 annual testing report.
| School year | Grade (score) | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | B (83) | Met |
| 2023-24 | B (83) | Met |
The 2024-25 grade is the latest in the state’s downloadable report card data.
From the state’s 2025-26 school assessment data:
- At grade level or above, all state tests: 73.9% (state: 59.2%)
- College and career ready (Level 4 and above): 54.1% (state: 37.5%)
- ACT composite of 17 or higher, 11th graders: 77.2% (state: 54.5%)
- Four-year graduation rate: 94.3% (state: 89%)
- Growth: met expected growth
The full report card, with attendance, teacher and course data, is on the state’s NC School Report Cards site.
How admission works
Applications for 2027-28 opened Oct. 1, 2026. Applications in by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, 2027, go into the first lottery, and applying early gives no advantage, according to the school’s admissions FAQ. The school takes about 150 new ninth graders a year and fills seats in grades 10 to 12 as they open. It has no attendance zone.
Charter schools are free and open to any North Carolina child. North Carolina law requires a charter school to hold a lottery when more students apply than it has room for. Charter schools do not have to provide buses or meals the way the district does, so ask the school what it offers. Our Durham public schools guide lists the district schools for each part of the city.
Calendar and bell times
Charter schools set their own calendars. The school’s own website posts its calendar; the state lists Research Triangle High School’s calendar as traditional.
Sports and activities
Research Triangle is a 2A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A/2A/3A Conference A for the 2025-29 alignment, with East Wake Academy, Franklin Academy, NCSSM (Durham), Neuse Charter, Raleigh Charter, Roxboro Community, Triangle Math and Science and Voyager Academy, according to the approved realignment.
The Raptors’ teams, listed on the school’s sports page: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and track for boys and girls, plus indoor track and volleyball.
Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.
More
- The school’s own website
- Every public school in Durham, with zones and report cards
- Our Durham schools guide for district calendars, enrollment and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Research Triangle High School serve?
Research Triangle High School serves grades 9 to 12, according to the school.
What is Research Triangle High School’s school grade?
Research Triangle High School earned a B, with a score of 83, in North Carolina’s 2024-25 School Performance Grades. In 2025-26, 73.9% of its state tests were at grade level or above.
How do you get into Research Triangle High School?
It is a public charter school with no attendance zone. Applications for 2027-28 opened Oct.
What conference is Research Triangle High School in?
Research Triangle is a 2A school in the NCHSAA’s 1A/2A/3A Conference A for the 2025-29 alignment, with East Wake Academy, Franklin Academy, NCSSM (Durham), Neuse Charter, Raleigh Charter, Roxboro Community, Triangle Math and Science and Voyager Academy.
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