Lenoir County Early College High

Lenoir County Early College High is a small high school in Kinston, NC, serving 246 students in grades 9–12 through Lenoir County Public Schools. Although the district as a whole ranks in the 34th percentile with a 2-star rating, this school is an academic standout: it ranks #116 out of 662 North Carolina high schools (82nd percentile, 4 stars) and has earned a 4- or 5-star rating every year for the past six years. That success is especially noteworthy because nearly all of its students (98.8%) come from economically disadvantaged households.

The school also outperforms every high school in the surrounding area by a wide margin. In Biology, 86.7% of students scored proficient, versus 38.3% for the district and 58.5% statewide. In Math III, 97% were proficient, compared with 56.3% for the district. Even its lowest end-of-course subject, Math I, saw 63.3% proficiency — nearly three times the district's 23.4% rate. Kinston High, only four miles away and serving a similarly high-poverty population, had far lower results, with just 20% proficient in Biology and 6.3% in Math I. Lenoir County Early College High even outpaces Greene Early College High, another high-performing area early college, in nearly every tested subject.

The school also stands out for attendance, with just 5.3% chronic absenteeism versus 40.4% for the district. As an early college, students can earn college credits while finishing high school, though families should note a high student-to-teacher ratio of about 30 to 1 — likely because college instructors aren't counted in the school's staffing figures. One trend to watch: English II and Math I proficiency have dipped over the past three years, and the school's state rank slipped from #57 to #116. Still, results remain far above district and state averages, making this one of eastern North Carolina's strongest public high school options.