Top Rankings
Carteret County School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 17 public schools serving 8,035 students in Carteret County School District. This district's average testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public schools in North Carolina.
Public Schools in Carteret County School District have an average math proficiency score of 65% (versus the North Carolina public school average of 51%), and reading proficiency score of 62% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 23% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public school average of 57% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
17 Schools
2,764 Schools
# Students
8,035 Students
1,547,014 Students
# Teachers
585 Teachers
100,085 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
District Rank
Carteret County School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 320 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#64 out of 325 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
65%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
62%
50%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
77%
63%
Graduation Rate
86%
86%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.39
0.71
# American Indian Students
21 Students
16,971 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
80 Students
65,132 Students
% Asian Students
1%
4%
# Hispanic Students
856 Students
326,941 Students
% Hispanic Students
11%
21%
# Black Students
364 Students
380,120 Students
% Black Students
5%
25%
# White Students
6,182 Students
665,292 Students
% White Students
77%
43%
# Hawaiian Students
24 Students
2,147 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
508 Students
92,182 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
109
23,648
# Students in K Grade:
473
110,403
# Students in 1st Grade:
539
114,331
# Students in 2nd Grade:
509
118,121
# Students in 3rd Grade:
544
111,941
# Students in 4th Grade:
545
114,493
# Students in 5th Grade:
590
115,565
# Students in 6th Grade:
700
116,023
# Students in 7th Grade:
664
116,793
# Students in 8th Grade:
698
119,029
# Students in 9th Grade:
698
137,977
# Students in 10th Grade:
713
126,349
# Students in 11th Grade:
688
117,582
# Students in 12th Grade:
565
104,759
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $11,769 is higher than the state median of $11,187. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,764 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$95 MM
$17,307 MM
Spending
$95 MM
$17,964 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,769
$11,187
Spending / Student
$11,764
$11,612
Best Carteret County School District Public Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Croatan High School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
1 Cougar Lane
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 393-7022
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 393-7022
Grades: 9-12
| 1,015 students
Rank: #22.
West Carteret High School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 68%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
4700 Country Club Road
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1176
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1176
Grades: 9-12
| 1,097 students
Rank: #33.
Broad Creek Middle School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 71%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
2382 Hwy 24
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 247-3135
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 247-3135
Grades: 6-8
| 751 students
Rank: #44.
White Oak Elementary School
(Math: 77% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
555 Wb Mclean Drive
Swansboro, NC 28584
(252) 393-3990
Swansboro, NC 28584
(252) 393-3990
Grades: PK-5
| 785 students
Rank: #55.
Atlantic Elementary School
(Math: 70-79% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
151 School Drive
Atlantic, NC 28511
(252) 225-3961
Atlantic, NC 28511
(252) 225-3961
Grades: PK-5
| 91 students
Rank: #66.
Bogue Sound Elementary School
(Math: 70% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
3323 Highway 24
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 393-1279
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 393-1279
Grades: PK-5
| 449 students
Rank: #77.
East Carteret High School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
3263 Hwy 70 E
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-3514
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-3514
Grades: 9-12
| 546 students
Rank: #88.
Morehead City Middle School
(Math: 62% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
400 Barbour Road
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1126
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1126
Grades: 6-8
| 524 students
Rank: #99.
Down East Middle And Smyrna Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
174 Marshallberg Road
Smyrna, NC 28579
(252) 729-2301
Smyrna, NC 28579
(252) 729-2301
Grades: PK-8
| 248 students
Rank: #1010.
Morehead City Primary
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
4409 Country Club Road
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 247-2448
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 247-2448
Grades: PK-3
| 517 students
Rank: #1111.
Harkers Island Elementary School
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 50-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
1163 Island Road
Harkers Island, NC 28531
(252) 728-3755
Harkers Island, NC 28531
(252) 728-3755
Grades: K-5
| 111 students
Rank: #1212.
Beaufort Elementary School
(Math: 64% | Reading: 53%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
110 Carraway Drive
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-3316
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-3316
Grades: PK-5
| 367 students
Rank: #1313.
Morehead Elementary At Camp Glenn
(Math: 59% | Reading: 53%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
3316 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1131
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-1131
Grades: 4-5
| 255 students
Rank: #1414.
Newport Middle School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 53%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
500 E Chatham Street
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 223-3482
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 223-3482
Grades: 6-8
| 377 students
Rank: #1515.
Beaufort Middle School
(Math: 53% | Reading: 52%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
100 Carraway Drive
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-4520
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-4520
Grades: 6-8
| 256 students
Rank: #1616.
Newport Elementary School
(Math: 56% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
219 Chatham Street
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 223-4201
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 223-4201
Grades: K-5
| 633 students
Rank: #1717.
Bridges School
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
140 Vashti Dr
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 808-3040
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 808-3040
Grades: 6-12
| 13 students
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools belong to Carteret County School District?
Carteret County School District manages 17 public schools serving 8,035 students.
What is the rank of Carteret County School District?
Carteret County School District is ranked #65 out of 320 school districts in North Carolina (top 30%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of North Carolina school districts for: Highest overall rank (Top 20%), Highest math proficiency (Top 20%), Highest science proficiency (Top 20%) and Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Carteret County School District?
77% of Carteret County School District students are White, 11% of students are Hispanic, 6% of students are Two or more races, 5% of students are Black, and 1% of students are Asian.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Carteret County School District?
Carteret County School District has a student/teacher ratio of 14:1, which is lower than the North Carolina state average of 15:1.
What is Carteret County School District's spending/student ratio?
The school district's spending/student of $11,764 is higher than the state median of $11,612. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
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