Education

In Cary, fostering a lifetime appreciation of learning means educational, workforce and career opportunities for the future. Education is an important facet of this community.

Cary is a part of the nationally-recognized Wake County Public School System, 18th largest in the United States and among the top in performance. Nearly 85% of school-age students in Cary
are enrolled in public school, with 15% enrolled in private schools, charters or homeschool. The high number of public school students reflects the quality of the public education provided.

For those who choose private school, there are numerous options in the area, including the prestigious Cary Academy, Cardinal Gibbons, Ravenscroft, Grace Christian and more. Cary’s schools benefit from an environment that emphasizes and values education—on the family, corporate and community level.
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Cary also enjoys the advantage of close proximity to some of the nation’s top universities, including Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, as well as numerous well-regarded private and community colleges. All in all, area institutions have an enrollment of nearly 200,000 students—with diverse backgrounds and bright futures. An area so rich in educational resources has produced an adult population in Cary with 61.8% holding Bachelor’s Degrees or higher and 26% with Master’s or Doctoral degrees.

Safety

The safest city in North Carolina. The safest city in the Southeast. The third safest city in America. Cary has received many accolades, but what do they mean for you?

It means Cary is dedicated to creating an environment where residents and visitors feel secure. It means that in the event
of an emergency, Cary has progressive, nationally-accredited fire and police departments and ambulance service. It means that Cary’s citizens take a personal stand against crime with events such as Cary’s National Night Out, an award-winning
annual crime and drug-abuse prevention event.
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The Town of Cary's Police Department is the first agency in North Carolina to earn re-accreditation under the Commission
on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.’s (CALEA) new Gold Standard Assessment, as well as the Accreditation
with Excellence Award.

Cary was recently named as one of the 30 safest cities to raise a child according to the SafeWise Report.