Schools and the Triangle...

“What does the current education system in the Raleigh/Durham area offer our youth?” When I hear this question asked by a family member relocating to our area it brings an immediate smile to my face. I usually take a moment and offer just some of the facts about our area and allow the individuals to answer the question for themselves... Our public schools rank among the best in the nation. The private schools, like Cary Academy and Ravenscroft, further strengthen our offerings to the next generation. With the start of 2008, Wake County has become the largest school district in North Carolina. The public school system consistently ranks in the top 5 in our nation. Our classroom sizes remain below the national average in teacher to student ratio and there are new schools being built every year. More information on Wake County public schools can be found at http://www.wcpss.net/

If looking toward further education, the Raleigh/Durham area houses some of the best. With Duke University, NC State University and the University of North Carolina all located in a 15 mile radius, our system for creating young professionals rivals any in our country. Duke University is regarded as one of the nation’s best private educations available. NC State is ranked in America’s best value colleges in the 2007 Princeton Review. The University of North Carolina placed first among best value among public universities by Forbes Magazine in 2007.

Finally, we house two of the highest nationally acclaimed research areas - a perfect place to continue expanding educational interests through internship or special projects. Research Triangle Park, RTP, spans 7,000 acres and 16 square miles and is first among research designations in our country. Over 39,000 world class employees totaling in excess of $2.7 billion in annual salary consider this area home to their professional careers. It houses some of the most respected companies throughout the world, such as GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, and Research Triangle Institute. Centennial Campus resides on NC State Campus and is tagged a multi-disciplinary R&D neighborhood. It covers 1,400 acres and continues to grow. At current there are 61 corporate and government partners and 73 state research centers. It also opened it’s first sustainable “green” building in 2005.