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East Carteret High

Q: Is East Carteret High a good school?

East Carteret High ranks 145 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

145^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 78% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

East Carteret High is a relatively small public high school in Beaufort, NC, serving 521 students in grades 9–12 as part of Carteret County Public Schools. The school consistently earns a 4-star rating and currently ranks 145th of 662 North Carolina high schools (78th percentile), placing it above West Carteret High (66th percentile) and Havelock High (36th percentile), though behind nearby Croatan High (88th percentile).

Math is the standout subject at East Carteret. Math III proficiency (97.5%) is the highest among regional peers, ahead of Early College EAST High (95.7%) and Croatan High (94.4%), and well above the state average of 68.9%. Math I proficiency (78.2%) also far exceeds both the state (42.1%) and district averages. English II, however, is the relative weak spot: at 66.9%, it falls below the district average and well below Croatan High (93.1%) and Early College EAST High (91.5%). Closing this literacy gap would be the school’s biggest opportunity to raise its overall profile.

What makes these results especially noteworthy is the school’s student population — 97.7% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite that high level of economic need, outcomes for underserved groups are strong relative to statewide comparisons: economically disadvantaged students rank at the 79th percentile, African American students at the 87th percentile, and special education students at the 88th percentile. Chronic absenteeism also improved dramatically to 19.4% from 29.7% a year earlier. East Carteret is roughly half the size of neighboring high schools, with a lower student-teacher ratio of 17.3:1 versus about 23:1 at Croatan High, West Carteret High, and Havelock High. Graduation rates have hovered between 85% and 89% in recent years, with the latest at 85.8%, making this a metric worth watching.

521

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,795

Per pupil spending ?

97.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3263 Hwy 70 E
Beaufort, NC 28516

(252) 728-3514

District: Carteret County Public Schools

Feeder schools for East Carteret High:

Elementary:	Atlantic Elementary
	Beaufort Elementary
	Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary
	Harkers Island Elementary
Middle:	Beaufort Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.1%

African American:

7.5%

Hispanic:

7.1%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare East Carteret High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg78%

North Carolina avg60%

145^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Carteret County Public Schools

31^st of 246Carteret County Public Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.3	145 of 662	78.1%	★★★★☆
2025	79.1	138 of 641	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	152 of 640	76.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.1	159 of 626	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	155 of 621	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	66.5	175 of 594	70.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	69 of 514	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	71.6	89 of 469	81.0%	★★★★☆
2017	70.4	78 of 476	83.6%	★★★★☆
2016	63.7	94 of 507	81.5%	★★★★☆
2015	60.3	118 of 531	77.8%	★★★★☆
2014	68.1	74 of 451	83.6%	★★★★☆
2013	54.3	120 of 505	76.2%	★★★★☆
2012	69.3	72 of 502	85.7%	★★★★☆
2011	62.4	149 of 506	70.6%	★★★★☆
2010	54.6	239 of 499	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	49.4	260 of 490	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.7	206 of 477	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	50.5	223 of 453	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	59.3	154 of 431	64.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	85.2	59 of 440	86.6%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	73 of 434	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	51.9	159 of 430	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.2	28 of 364	92.3%	★★★★★
2019	77.8	32 of 369	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	69.9	56 of 359	84.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	37.2	180 of 330	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.1	318 of 334	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	66.9	62 of 364	83.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.0	121 of 349	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.9	128 of 629	79.7%	★★★★☆
2025	80.4	123 of 610	79.8%	★★★★☆
2024	81.5	123 of 602	79.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	133 of 588	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.3	120 of 594	79.8%	★★★★☆
2021	67.6	96 of 475	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	79.5	56 of 475	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	64 of 449	85.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	52.2	263 of 407	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	77.9	71 of 412	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	41 of 403	89.8%	★★★★★
2023	65.8	150 of 403	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	79.7	19 of 337	94.4%	★★★★★
2019	79.7	24 of 325	92.6%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.6	105 of 474	77.8%	★★★★☆
2025	72.1	108 of 462	76.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.3	128 of 620	79.4%	★★★★☆
2025	81.5	106 of 606	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	127 of 613	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	76.8	114 of 597	80.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.0	122 of 544	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	66 of 432	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	29 of 446	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	69.9	63 of 424	85.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.2	153 of 624	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	77.0	148 of 601	75.4%	★★★★☆
2024	69.5	173 of 607	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	70.3	166 of 602	72.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	170 of 585	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	64.2	104 of 481	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.2	88 of 488	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	131 of 463	71.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.9	43 of 372	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	63.4	66 of 352	81.3%	★★★★☆
2024	26.8	272 of 349	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.7	168 of 551	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	71.6	163 of 542	69.9%	★★★★☆
2024	66.8	190 of 553	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	201 of 537	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.9	186 of 534	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.0	135 of 439	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.1	88 of 444	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	142 of 427	66.7%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)88th percentile+10 vs school

African American (2025)87th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)79th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile~ school

Male (2026)75th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2022)45th percentile-30 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III98%+29 vs state

Biology79%+20 vs state

Math I78%+36 vs state

English II67%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near East Carteret High

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East Carteret High	Public	9-12	3263 Hwy 70 E	Beaufort	28516	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 728-3514	521	30	17.3	97.7%	407 (78.1%)	39 (7.5%)	37 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.5%)	78.3	145^th of 662 public high schools	78.1%		79.1	138^th of 641 public high schools	78.5%	7	78.9	66.9	78.2	97.5	$11,795	$560	$11,235
West Carteret High	Public	9-12	4700 Country Club Rd	Morehead City	28557	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 726-1176	1,095	47	23.1	99.0%	770 (70.3%)	75 (6.8%)	150 (13.7%)	13 (1.2%)	3 (0.3%)	10 (0.9%)	74 (6.8%)	64.4	224^th of 662 public high schools	66.2%		57.3	249^th of 641 public high schools	61.2%	25	75.3	73.5	39.6	79.1	$10,075	$730	$9,345
Bridges School	Public	6-12	140 Vashti Dr	Morehead City	28557	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 808-3040	11	3	3.6	72.7%	7 (63.6%)	3 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)								(n/a)					$50,386	$4,316	$46,070
Havelock High	Public	9-12	101 Webb Boulevard	Havelock	28532	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	No	(252) 444-5112	1,014	44	23.1	52.5%	487 (48.0%)	240 (23.7%)	166 (16.4%)	15 (1.5%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	97 (9.6%)	37.2	424^th of 662 public high schools	36.0%		42.3	360^th of 641 public high schools	43.8%	64	57.8	66.2	25.6	55.9	$9,356	$1,044	$8,312
Early College EAST High	Public	9-12	104 Middle School Lane	Havelock	28532	Craven County	Craven County Board of Education	No	No	No	No	(252) 444-5194	208	6	37.1	27.4%	128 (61.5%)	21 (10.1%)	37 (17.8%)	6 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	14 (6.7%)	80.6	139^th of 662 public high schools	79.0%		85.4	108^th of 641 public high schools	83.2%	31	85.1	91.5	46.9	95.7	$7,531	$242	$7,289
Croatan High	Public	9-12	1 Cougar Ln	Newport	28570	Carteret County	Carteret County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(252) 393-7022	1,019	44	23.4	27.9%	855 (83.9%)	9 (0.9%)	97 (9.5%)	16 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (4.0%)	89.8	80^th of 662 public high schools	87.9%		84.8	112^th of 641 public high schools	82.5%	32	90.8	93.1	81.0	94.4	$9,671	$682	$8,989

Frequently Asked Questions about East Carteret High

What district is East Carteret High in?

Carteret County Public Schools

Is East Carteret High a good school?

East Carteret High ranks 145^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of East Carteret High?

Students at East Carteret High are 78% White, 7% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What schools feed into East Carteret High?

East Carteret High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Atlantic Elementary
Elementary : Beaufort Elementary
Elementary : Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary
Elementary : Harkers Island Elementary
Middle : Beaufort Middle

How many students attend East Carteret High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 521 students attended East Carteret High.

Rate East Carteret High!

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Schools in Beaufort, NC

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.