Cumberland International Early College

Cumberland International Early College is a small, high-performing high school in Fayetteville, NC, serving about 237 students in grades 9–12 and operating as part of Cumberland County Schools, a district ranked in only the 43rd percentile statewide. The school has earned 5-star ratings in every reported year since 2015–16 and ranks 51st of 662 North Carolina high schools overall (92nd percentile). Its test results are extraordinary: English II proficiency is 98.5% compared with 46.3% at Douglas Byrd High, 51.8% at E.E. Smith High, and 55.9% at Terry Sanford High. Math I proficiency is 86.2% — far above the 6.7%–41.4% range at nearby comprehensive schools — and Math III proficiency stands at 96.2% versus 65.9% for the district.

Perhaps the school's most distinctive feature is its strong academic results across student subgroups. With 57.4% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Cumberland International Early College ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide for low-income student outcomes and in the 96th percentile for African American student outcomes. It also achieves standout results efficiently, spending $7,428 per pupil — well below the $10,706 spent at E.E. Smith High and the $10,626 at Douglas Byrd High, both of which post far weaker proficiency rates.

The school's closest point of comparison is Cross Creek Early College, another elite early-college program at the same Murchison Road address. CIEC posted a higher English II proficiency rate (98.5% vs. 88.2%), while Cross Creek earned stronger Math I scores (96.1% vs. 86.2%) and far lower chronic absenteeism (6.7% vs. 21.5%). CIEC's absenteeism has drifted upward from 17.7% in 2021–22, although it remains lower than the district average of 33.7%. Because the school is small, subject-level results can fluctuate from year to year with just a handful of students. Still, the overall picture is clear: Cumberland International Early College is one of North Carolina's most consistently strong public high schools, delivering elite outcomes for a mostly low-income student body.