Lower school, K through 4
Phonics based reading, daily math, and science and art specials four days a week.
Fourteen students per class
Small enough that every teacher knows every child
An independent K through 8 school with an average class of fourteen, science and art every day, and a campus where eighth graders still know the kindergarteners' names.
14average class size
K to 8grades served
32%receive tuition aid
Since 1988in North Raleigh
Academics and programs
What a Cedar Ridge day includes
Tuition figures below are annual for the 2026 to 2027 school year and include books and technology fees.
Middle school, grades 5 through 8
Departmentalized classes, algebra available in eighth grade and a two week capstone project.
Tuition assistance
Need based awards cover 20 to 90 percent of tuition for about a third of our families.
Before and after care
Supervised care from 7:15am and until 6pm, with homework time and outdoor play.
Athletics, grades 5 through 8
Soccer, cross country, basketball and lacrosse, with no cuts at any level.
Summer day camp
Six weeks in June and July on campus, open to enrolled and non enrolled children.
Our school
Thirty eight years of small classes in North Raleigh
Cedar Ridge was founded in 1988 by a group of Raleigh parents and teachers who wanted a school where children were known individually. We enroll about 260 students across nine grades and hold class sizes to sixteen at the absolute maximum. Our head of school teaches one section of eighth grade writing every year.
•Class sizes capped at sixteen, with a teaching assistant in every K through 2 room
•Science, art, music and Spanish taught by specialists, not classroom teachers
•Need based tuition assistance awarded to roughly a third of families each year
Reviews
What Cedar Ridge families say
“The third grade teacher called us in September to say she had noticed something in our son's reading. He got support before it became a problem.”
Angela M., Parent of two
“Our daughter came from a class of thirty and could hide. Here she cannot, and it turned out she liked that.”
Bill and Tracey H., Sixth grade parent
“Tuition assistance made this possible for us. The process was private and nobody at school knows or acts like it.”
Yolanda F., Parent, grades 2 and 5
FAQ
Admissions and daily life
When should we apply?
Applications for fall open in October and priority review closes January 15. We accept applications after that as space allows, and most grades have one or two openings through the spring.
How does tuition assistance work?
Families submit financial information through an independent third party service that we do not control. Awards range from 20 to 90 percent of tuition, decisions come with the admission letter, and applying for aid does not affect admission.
What does a school day look like?
Doors open at 7:45am, classes run 8am to 3:15pm with two recesses in lower school and one in middle school. Specials meet daily and homework runs about ten minutes per grade level per night.
Where do your eighth graders go next?
Roughly half go to Wake County public high schools and half to area independent schools. Our counselor works with every eighth grade family on placement starting in the fall.
Contact
Come see a normal school day
Tours run Tuesday and Thursday mornings while class is in session. You will see real classrooms, not a staged event.
Phone(764) 555-0164
Address5401 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, Raleigh, North Carolina
HoursSchool day 8am to 3:15pm, office 7:30am to 4:30pm
AreaRaleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Knightdale