By area
Private schools in Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh
Inside and just outside the Beltline: Cardinal Gibbons and the Cathedral parish school, two Islamic schools near NC State, an Episcopal girls' school, Grace and Wake Christian, and several small specialty programs. Our directory has 24 schools here; 16 are on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list.
About this data. School facts come from the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24, plus 2021-22 rows for schools that skipped the latest round). The Direct Payment flag comes from matching names, by county and with code, against the NCSEAA Direct Payment Schools table for 2026-27, downloaded October 30, 2026. Schools found only on the state list show a name and town and nothing else. Neither source reports tuition, so ask the school.
24
Schools listed here16
On the 2026-27 Direct Payment list6,409
Students in the federal survey9
Offer pre-K9
Go through grade 12$7,148
2026-27 Tier 2 award, the band most two-income households fall inBy type
Independent & Non-Religious Schools in Downtown
10 schools
Browse →Christian Schools in Downtown
9 schools
Browse →Schools Through Grade 12 in Downtown
9 schools
Browse →Church-Run Schools in Downtown
4 schools
Browse →Catholic Schools in Downtown
3 schools
Browse →Schools for Learning Differences in Downtown
3 schools
Browse →Islamic, Jewish & Quaker Schools in Downtown
2 schools
Browse →Preschools & Early Learning in Downtown
2 schools
Browse →Montessori Schools in Downtown
1 school
Browse →All 24 schools in Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh
| School | Affiliation | Area | Grades | Direct Payment 2026-27 | Students (federal survey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Christian Academy of Raleigh 4805 Dillard Dr, Raleigh 27606 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-10 | ✓ Listed | 133 |
| Al-Iman School 3020 Ligon St, Raleigh 27607 | Islamic | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-8 | ✓ Listed | 321 |
| An-Noor School 808 Atwater St, Raleigh 27607 | Islamic | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 3-8 | ✓ Listed | 90 |
| Cardinal Gibbons High School 1401 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh 27607 | Catholic | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 9-12 | ✓ Listed | 1,590 |
| Cathedral School 204 Hillsborough St, Raleigh 27603 | Catholic | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-8 | ✓ Listed | 223 |
| Children's Discovery Center 5511 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh 27606 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 20 |
| Dynamic Opportunities 700 Brooks Ave, Raleigh 27607 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | — | ✓ Listed | 40 |
| Follow the Child Montessori School 3601 Harden Rd, Raleigh 27607 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-6 | Not listed | 165 |
| Frankie Lemmon School & Development Center 3311 Carl Sandburg Ct, Raleigh 27610 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 1 | Not listed | 7 |
| Fusion Academy Raleigh 2418 Blue Ridge Rd Ste 200, Raleigh 27607 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 6-12 | ✓ Listed | 101 |
| Grace Christian School 801 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh 27606 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 874 |
| King's Town Christian Academy 7900 Ten Ten Rd, Raleigh 27603 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K | Not listed | 12 |
| Learn With the Best School 4900 Waters Edge Dr Ste 100, Raleigh 27606 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 1-12 | ✓ Listed | 36 |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School 2710 Overbrook Dr, Raleigh 27608 | Catholic | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K-8 | ✓ Listed | 464 |
| Raleigh Christian Academy 2110 Trawick Rd, Raleigh 27604 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-12 | ✓ Listed | 228 |
| Raleigh Day School 1725 N New Hope Rd, Raleigh 27604 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-4 | ✓ Listed | 24 |
| St. Mary's Christian Academy 3407 N New Hope Rd, Raleigh 27604 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-6 | Not listed | 25 |
| St. Mary's School 900 Hillsborough St, Raleigh 27603 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 9-12 | Not listed | 306 |
| Sure Promise Christian Academy 4301 Pearl Rd, Raleigh 27610 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K-5 | ✓ Listed | 19 |
| Thales Academy of Cary 1120 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh 27606 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K-10 | ✓ Listed | 436 |
| The Raleigh School 1141 Raleigh School Dr, Raleigh 27607 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-5 | Not listed | 264 |
| Wake Christian Academy 5500 Wake Academy Dr, Raleigh 27603 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 926 |
| Wake Monarch Academy 824 N Bloodworth St, Raleigh 27604 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 9-12 | ✓ Listed | 12 |
| Word of God Christian Academy 3000 Rock Quarry, Raleigh 27610 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 6-12 | Not listed | 93 |
Wake federal rows are placed here by ZIP: 27601, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27610. State-list-only schools are placed by town.
| A ✓ on the Direct Payment column tells you | It does not tell you |
|---|---|
| NCSEAA can send Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ money to this school for 2026-27 | That a seat is open or that your child will be admitted |
| The award goes to required tuition and fees, up to your tier amount | That the award will cover the full bill |
| The school accepted NCSEAA's testing and audit rules for scholarship students | Whether the school is accredited, which the state table does not show |
Weighing a school in Downtown?
About two minutes of questions. Then a Raleigh Edu Funding advisor phones you with an estimated tier, the programs that match and the deadlines coming up.