By type & area
Independent & Non-Religious Schools in Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh
10 independent & non-religious schools in Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh, 6 of them on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list. 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.
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.
Funding note: This group splits sharply. Ravenscroft, Durham Academy, Cary Academy and Duke School were not on the 2026-27 list; Thales and many small independents were.
| School | Affiliation | Area | Grades | Direct Payment 2026-27 | Students (federal survey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Learn With the Best School 4900 Waters Edge Dr Ste 100, Raleigh 27606 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 1-12 | ✓ Listed | 36 |
| Raleigh Day School 1725 N New Hope Rd, Raleigh 27604 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-4 | ✓ Listed | 24 |
| 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 Monarch Academy 824 N Bloodworth St, Raleigh 27604 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | 9-12 | ✓ Listed | 12 |
| 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 |
Every school in Downtown All independent & non-religious schools
Find out which programs your child can use
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.