Best Public Schools in Carolina Beach, NC

Summary:

The city of Carolina Beach, North Carolina is home to a single standout elementary school, Carolina Beach Elementary. This school has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and outperforming district and state averages on standardized tests across multiple subjects and grade levels.

Carolina Beach Elementary boasts a student-teacher ratio of 14.8, lower than the national average, and per-student spending of $10,071, higher than the national average. These factors likely contribute to the school's academic excellence, which is further evidenced by its 3rd grade math proficiency rate of 78.1% in 2024-2025, compared to 68.9% for the New Hanover County Schools district and 64.1% for the state of North Carolina.

While the school serves a relatively affluent student population, with only 33.33% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, its consistent academic performance and efficient resource allocation make it a standout example that could provide valuable insights for other schools and districts looking to improve their educational outcomes.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carolina Beach Elementary	Public	K-5	400 South 4th St	Carolina Beach	28428	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 458-4340	383	27	14.1	33.4%	349 (91.1%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.7%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.1%)	91.2	91^st of 1490 public elementary schools	93.9%		86.2	163^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	89.2%	72	78.1	89.9	77.1	71.2	83.5	74.3	85.7	$10,071	$617	$9,454

Cities Near Carolina Beach

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilmington	4.3 mi	45	220^th
Southport	8.27 mi	3	201^st
Winnabow	12.78 mi	2	102^nd
Leland	13.59 mi	5	203^rd
Wrightsville Beach	13.62 mi	1	2^nd

See the top NC North Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.