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 4 public high schools serving 2,671 students in Carteret County School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Carteret County School District have an average math proficiency score of 76% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 73% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Carteret County School District have a Graduation Rate of 87%, which is more than the North Carolina average of 85%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Croatan High School, with ≥95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 23% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 55% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
17 Schools
761 Schools
# Students
8,035 Students
565,764 Students
# Teachers
585 Teachers
33,453 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1
Student By Grade
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
0.70
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
11%
20%
% Black
5%
24%
% White
77%
45%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
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 High 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.
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: #44.
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
Recent Articles
Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.
