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Wrightsville Beach Elementary

Public Grades K-5

26^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 98% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Wrightsville Beach Elementary is a small K–5 school in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, serving 280 students as part of New Hanover County Schools. The school has earned a 5-star rating in every reported year over the past decade and has finished in the top 30 among North Carolina's nearly 1,500 elementary schools year after year, most recently ranking 26th statewide. This is not a one-year spike but rather a decade-long pattern of exceptional performance.

Academically, Wrightsville Beach students score far above district and state averages, with end-of-grade proficiency rates roughly 20 to 35 points higher than their statewide peers. In the most recent year, 5th-grade math and science each hit 94.1 percent proficiency, and 5th-grade reading reached 90.2 percent. The school even outpaced its high-performing neighbors Masonboro Elementary and Ogden Elementary in 5th-grade math and reading, while tying Masonboro Elementary in science. The contrast with nearby schools is striking: College Park Elementary, just a few miles away, posted only 31 percent in 5th-grade math and 25.4 percent in reading, while Bradley Creek Elementary posted 73.6 percent and 60.4 percent. The same district and the same tests produce vastly different outcomes within a small geographic area.

Two additional factors stand out. First, the school serves a highly advantaged student population: only 8.93 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism runs about 8.5 percent, far below the district and state rates near 27 percent. Second, this success is not explained by spending — nearby College Park Elementary spends considerably more per student yet performs near the bottom of the state. Strong results also appear across subgroups: female students ranked 9th statewide in the most recent year. For parents, the bottom line is that Wrightsville Beach Elementary is one of North Carolina's most consistently excellent schools, combining a decade of elite rankings with some of the highest test scores in the region.

280

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

8.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

220 Coral Drive
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

(910) 256-3171

District: New Hanover County Schools

Students who attend Wrightsville Beach Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

M C S Noble Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.4%

Hispanic:

3.2%

Two or more races:

2.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Wrightsville Beach Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 100th percentile in 2016 → 98th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (89% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of North Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school89%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

26^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 2%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 246New Hanover County 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	95.9	26 of 1492	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	97.6	12 of 1490	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	96.3	30 of 1505	98.0%	★★★★★
2023	96.5	20 of 1502	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	97.8	8 of 1514	99.5%	★★★★★
2021	99.0	4 of 1489	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	96.9	9 of 1473	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	97.0	7 of 1434	99.5%	★★★★★
2017	95.9	17 of 1429	98.8%	★★★★★
2016	96.9	7 of 1425	99.5%	★★★★★
2015	97.9	3 of 1440	99.8%	★★★★★
2014	97.3	10 of 1390	99.3%	★★★★★
2013	87.1	137 of 1403	90.2%	★★★★★
2012	89.9	41 of 1388	97.0%	★★★★★
2011	89.6	39 of 1381	97.2%	★★★★★
2010	89.8	38 of 1363	97.2%	★★★★★
2009	90.9	30 of 1354	97.8%	★★★★★
2008	93.2	32 of 1324	97.6%	★★★★★
2007	90.3	30 of 1293	97.7%	★★★★★
2006	88.5	63 of 1276	95.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.0	9 of 1447	99.4%	★★★★★
2025	97.0	10 of 1451	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	98.2	3 of 1455	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	97.2	6 of 1459	99.6%	★★★★★
2022	97.1	6 of 1458	99.6%	★★★★★
2021	98.9	2 of 1440	99.9%	★★★★★
2019	96.2	7 of 1424	99.5%	★★★★★
2018	95.1	15 of 1405	98.9%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.5	149 of 743	79.9%	★★★★☆
2025	54.4	440 of 710	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	70.3	50 of 669	92.5%	★★★★★
2023	68.6	28 of 582	95.2%	★★★★★
2022	67.9	127 of 500	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	73.2	71 of 494	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	65.1	205 of 612	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	93.6	24 of 1361	98.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.2	62 of 1451	95.7%	★★★★★
2025	96.2	25 of 1450	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	92.3	69 of 1464	95.3%	★★★★★
2023	94.8	39 of 1461	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	97.2	9 of 1464	99.4%	★★★★★
2021	98.4	7 of 1444	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	95.8	15 of 1430	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	97.5	4 of 1413	99.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.3	36 of 1146	96.9%	★★★★★
2025	93.0	17 of 1172	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	40 of 1166	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	91.6	33 of 1183	97.2%	★★★★★
2022	95.2	7 of 1194	99.4%	★★★★★
2021	96.4	6 of 1172	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	94.2	14 of 1183	98.8%	★★★★★
2018	95.4	4 of 1178	99.7%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2026)99th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)98th percentile~ school

White (2026)97th percentile~ school

Male (2026)96th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)80th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science94%+26 vs state

Mathematics91%+28 vs state

Reading86%+30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wrightsville Beach Elementary

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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)				EOG Mathematics (2026)			EOG Reading (2026)			EOG Science (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	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
Wrightsville Beach Elementary	Public	K-5	220 Coral Drive	Wrightsville Beach	28480	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 256-3171	280	19	14.4	8.9%	256 (91.4%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.2%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.9%)	95.9	26^th of 1492 public elementary schools	98.3%		97.6	12^th of 1490 public elementary schools	99.2%	14	88.0	561.0	94.1	80.0	87.2	90.2	94.1	$11,028	$419	$10,609
Bradley Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	6211 Greenville Loop	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2051	344	28	12.1	98.0%	163 (47.4%)	11 (3.2%)	161 (46.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	52.7	682^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	54.3%		58.2	595^th of 1490 public elementary schools	60.1%	87	51.9	66.0	73.6	46.3	50.0	60.4	75.5	$11,533	$978	$10,555
John J Blair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6510 Market Street	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2045	451	34	13.1	—	184 (40.8%)	58 (12.9%)	138 (30.6%)	23 (5.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.8%)	34.6	1017^th of 1492 public elementary schools	31.8%		35.3	995^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.2%	22	47.7	57.6	60.3	46.2	50.0	39.7	63.2	$10,293	$831	$9,462
Ogden Elementary	Public	K-5	3637 Middle Sound Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 686-6464	619	39	15.9	17.6%	541 (87.4%)	7 (1.1%)	36 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.0%)	94.7	47^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.8%		96.8	22^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	98.5%	25	561.6	92.1	88.2	84.9	83.3	80.0	86.4	$9,099	$487	$8,612
College Park Elementary	Public	K-5	5001 Oriole Drive	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2058	470	35	13.2	—	93 (19.8%)	175 (37.2%)	153 (32.6%)	11 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (7.7%)	8.6	1437^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.7%		13.4	1374^th of 1490 public elementary schools	7.8%	63	42.2	46.7	31.0	26.6	32.0	25.4	40.8	$17,443	$1,558	$15,885
Dr Hubert Eaton Senior Elementary	Public	K-5	6701 Gordon Road	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 397-1544	461	32	14.2	30.4%	342 (74.2%)	31 (6.7%)	39 (8.5%)	13 (2.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.2%)	91	98^th of 1492 public elementary schools	93.4%		91.7	86^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.2%	12	87.7	86.8	90.2	70.4	76.5	73.8	91.8	$10,965	$754	$10,211
Masonboro Elementary	Public	K-5	3518 Masonboro Loop Road	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2355	564	35	15.9	20.6%	460 (81.6%)	10 (1.8%)	55 (9.8%)	22 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.8%)	96.3	23^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	98.5%		96.4	34^th of 1490 public elementary schools	97.7%	11	93.3	87.6	93.9	81.0	86.5	87.0	94.8	$9,518	$523	$8,996
Winter Park Model Elementary	Public	K-5	204 S MacMillan Ave	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2159	311	25	12.3	—	136 (43.7%)	45 (14.5%)	108 (34.7%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	63.8	522^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	65.0%		55.1	653^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	56.2%	131	72.2	69.8	75.5	55.6	52.4	61.2	73.5	$15,516	$1,728	$13,788
Holly Tree Elementary	Public	K-5	3020 Web Trace	Wilmington	28409	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 790-2250	383	28	13.5	26.1%	289 (75.5%)	28 (7.3%)	44 (11.5%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	83.9	191^st of 1492 public elementary schools	87.2%		83.2	200^th of 1490 public elementary schools	86.6%	9	82.8	73.4	81.8	71.9	70.3	67.3	83.6	$10,025	$585	$9,440
Porters Neck Elementary	Public	K-5	416 Edgewater Club Rd	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-2975	666	42	16.0	22.4%	530 (79.6%)	30 (4.5%)	58 (8.7%)	16 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.4%)	79.6	246^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.5%		86.3	156^th of 1490 public elementary schools	89.5%	90	74.8	79.1	71.4	71.5	73.6	65.7	75.2

Frequently Asked Questions about Wrightsville Beach Elementary

What schools do graduates of Wrightsville Beach Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wrightsville Beach Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : M C S Noble Middle

How many students attend Wrightsville Beach Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 280 students attended Wrightsville Beach Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Wrightsville Beach Elementary?

Students at Wrightsville Beach Elementary are 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Wrightsville Beach Elementary a good school?

Yes! Wrightsville Beach Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 26^th of 1492 North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Wrightsville Beach Elementary in?

New Hanover County Schools

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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.