Igniting innovation, cultivating community

Accelerator

Tuition-based courses available to students from anywhere in the world that offer students academic growth through engaging, challenging STEM courses on topics they can relate to. Students learn with like-minded peers and are taught by scientists, university professors, engineers, and others who bring real-world experience and activities to the Accelerator learning experience.

Durham Commencement

45th Commencement Exercises

Friday, May 22, 2026

Please join us as we graduate our 45th class of Residential students on Friday, May 22, on the school’s Durham campus. The accomplished candidates represent all 13 Congressional Districts across the state of North Carolina.

Location: Watts Lawn

Durham Residential

Each year, 680 students live and learn in the two-year Residential program as high school juniors and seniors taking rigorous math, science, and humanities courses at NCSSM-Durham, situated among historic in-town neighborhoods within walking distance of Duke University in this mid-size city. The campus was founded in 1980 to create the nation’s first public, residential high school featuring STEM education.

Early Accelerator

Summer academic programs that offer younger students exciting and innovative ways to explore STEM concepts. Through interactive and hands-on activities, students will embark on a series of STEM adventures. These non-residential, day programs are held on NCSSM’s Durham and Morganton campuses.

INSPIRE

INtroducing STEM Pathways through Inquiry and Research Experiences is a free, one-week residential summer program for rising 11th graders who live in NC designed for, but not limited to, students from underrepresented groups. The weeklong residential program at NCSSM-Morganton pairs students with mentors to work on project offering experiences in STEM research and in solving complex, real-world problems.

Morganton Commencement

3rd Commencement Exercises

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Please join us as we graduate our third class of Residential students on Thursday, May 21, on the school’s Morganton campus. The accomplished candidates represent all 13 Congressional Districts across the state of North Carolina.

Location: Lawn outside of the Barn

Morganton Residential

NCSSM’s two-year Residential high school experience with rigorous math, science, and humanities courses is now offered at our newest campus composed of new and newly renovated historic buildings on a ridge-top setting. In this picturesque western North Carolina town surrounded by natural beauty and outdoor recreation, each year we serve 300 juniors and seniors from across NC in a life-changing living-learning community.

NCSSM Connect

Semester-long distance education courses offered virtually via videoconference during the school day at a student’s home school which is an NCSSM Connect partner school. These tuition-free, honors-level and AP courses in STEM and humanities expand the curriculum offered at North Carolina schools.

NCSSM Online

A supplemental, sequenced two-year honors program that provides the NCSSM experience virtually through evening webinars and asynchronous assignments to students across the state who remain in their home community. Students completing the program receive a certificate of completion, with the option to dual enroll for local school course credit.

Step Up to STEM

An innovative interdisciplinary academic program that uses exciting real-world subjects to challenge rising 9th and 10th graders across North Carolina and build their skills in science, math, technology, and communications.

Summer Ventures

A a no-cost, state-funded program for academically talented North Carolina students who aspire to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. You will have the opportunity to engage in research with faculty and get hands-on experience at a university.

Teamship

NC Teamship Showcase welcomes students who have participated in a Teamship experience at schools or organizations hosting the Teamship program. This includes the many districts participating in the Spark Teamship Program.