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Wilmington Early College High

Q: Is Wilmington Early College High a good school?

Wilmington Early College High ranks 119 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

119^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 82% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Wilmington Early College High is a small public high school in Castle Hayne, NC, serving 270 students in grades 9–12 as part of New Hanover County Schools. Ranked 119th out of 662 schools statewide (82nd percentile) with a 4-star rating, it posts End-of-Course scores that are dramatically above district and state averages: Math III proficiency is a perfect 100%, English II is 92.1%, Math I is 79.2%, and Biology is 69.3%. In every subject, the school beats regional averages by 10 to 30 percentage points, a feat made more remarkable by the fact that nearly 99% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Attendance is another standout. Chronic absenteeism runs at just 8.8%, roughly one-third of the district rate of 23.8% and far better than nearby traditional schools like Emsley A Laney High (38.2%) and New Hanover High (38.0%). The school's record looks even more impressive next to Isaac M Bear Early College High School, a sister early college in the district that ranks slightly higher (92nd percentile) but serves a far less economically disadvantaged population (about 26% low-income versus Wilmington Early College's 99%). The closest comparable is SEA-Technical, another small, high-poverty themed school nearby with similarly strong results, which suggests that school model and culture—not family wealth—drive these outcomes.

Notably, this success does not come from extra money or tiny classes. The school spends about $8,673 per student—roughly what John T Hoggard High and Emsley A Laney High spend—and has a student-teacher ratio of 20.6:1, quite typical for the area. One watch item: the school peaked at the 96th percentile in 2022–2023 and has settled in the low 80s for the last two years, with Biology proficiency dipping from 89.7% to 69.3%. Still, for a school serving one of the highest-poverty populations in the region, Wilmington Early College High delivers results that rival and often exceed the wealthiest schools in the state.

270

Students ?

20.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4500 Blue Clay Rd
Castle Hayne, NC 28429

(910) 362-7789

District: New Hanover County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.1%

African American:

21.1%

Hispanic:

17.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Wilmington Early College High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2021 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (85% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2021

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school85%

District avg62%

North Carolina avg60%

119^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 12 pts since 2021

From top 6% (2021) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High 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	83.4	119 of 662	82.0%	★★★★☆
2025	84.2	114 of 641	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	88.3	95 of 640	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	95.1	24 of 626	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	86.1	100 of 621	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	94.4	35 of 594	94.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	103 of 450	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.7	74 of 440	83.2%	★★★★☆
2024	96.6	28 of 437	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	97.9	19 of 434	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	51 of 430	88.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.0	121 of 629	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	77.8	132 of 610	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.7	117 of 602	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	94.7	20 of 588	96.6%	★★★★★
2022	82.7	101 of 594	83.0%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.4	50 of 407	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	49.3	268 of 412	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	78.5	45 of 403	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.5	16 of 403	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	60.6	185 of 398	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.9	75 of 474	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	92.5	45 of 462	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	84.2	72 of 454	84.1%	★★★★☆
2023	96.3	28 of 449	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	74.7	92 of 436	78.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.4	119 of 620	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	83.6	95 of 606	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	88.7	89 of 613	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	97.0	28 of 597	95.3%	★★★★★
2022	83.5	81 of 544	85.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.9	108 of 624	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	90.0	84 of 601	86.0%	★★★★☆
2024	92.8	61 of 607	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	95.2	38 of 602	93.7%	★★★★★
2022	90.4	80 of 585	86.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.2	30 of 551	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	86.1	81 of 542	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	87.5	81 of 553	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	94.3	17 of 537	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	83.4	91 of 534	83.0%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2026)95th percentile+13 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)88th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)84th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile~ school

Female (2026)81st percentile~ school

African American (2026)77th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III100%+31 vs state

English II92%+28 vs state

Math I79%+37 vs state

Biology69%+11 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, April 21, 2016

The administration has no respect students privacy. Uses general terms to bypass and confidentiality. Would not recommend doing any counseling or private talk anywhere near any faculty or staff - definitely not near the principal. Close Quote

by a student
Monday, February 1, 2010

Awesome school! Great diversity and also great teachers to help you when you need it. Freshman year is pretty hard, but your student will get use to it after that year. Close Quote

Schools Near Wilmington Early College 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)	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/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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wilmington Early College High	Public	9-12	4500 Blue Clay Rd	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 362-7789	270	13	20.6	98.9%	146 (54.1%)	57 (21.1%)	48 (17.8%)	8 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.1%)	83.4	119^th of 662 public high schools	82.0%		84.2	114^th of 641 public high schools	82.2%	5	69.3	92.1	79.2	100.0								$8,673	$273	$8,400
SEA-Technical	Public	9-12	5301 Sidbury Road	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 530-6300	227	17	13.6	98.7%	144 (63.4%)	26 (11.5%)	38 (16.7%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.2%)	91.9	57^th of 662 public high schools	91.4%		89.1	86^th of 641 public high schools	86.6%	29	93.2	95.5	88.9	96.4								$13,361	$253	$13,108
Emsley A Laney High	Public	9-12	2700 N College Rd	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2089	2,243	111	20.2	95.3%	1,243 (55.4%)	409 (18.2%)	415 (18.5%)	40 (1.8%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (5.9%)	43.8	378^th of 662 public high schools	42.9%		42.9	351^st of 641 public high schools	45.2%	27	56.3	70.7	39.0	56.5								$8,690	$533	$8,157
Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington	Public, Charter	6-12	4100 Sunglow Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 338-5258	362	35	10.2	98.9%	151 (41.7%)	96 (26.5%)	70 (19.3%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (10.8%)	30.8	473^rd of 662 public high schools	28.5%		34.7	415^th of 641 public high schools	35.3%	58	48.1	56.3	46.2	31.4	42.0	56.5	65.6	52.0	63.0	67.2	75.4
Career Readiness Academy at Mosley PLC	Public	9-12	3702 Princess Place Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-6161	150	15	10.2	98.0%	46 (30.7%)	53 (35.3%)	40 (26.7%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.0%)	33.9	448^th of 662 public high schools	32.3%		22.9	507^th of 641 public high schools	20.9%	59	54.5	60.9	40.7	40.9								$21,178	$2,660	$18,517
New Hanover High	Public	9-12	1307 Market St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-6100	1,437	91	15.7	98.5%	523 (36.4%)	457 (31.8%)	381 (26.5%)	15 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (4.1%)	23.3	533^rd of 662 public high schools	19.5%		29.2	461^st of 641 public high schools	28.1%	72	41.6	47.6	22.4	59.1								$10,692	$741	$9,950
Isaac M Bear Early College High School	Public	9-12	630 MacMillan Avenue	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-1387	260	11	24.7	25.8%	162 (62.3%)	10 (3.8%)	47 (18.1%)	23 (8.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.2%)	92	53^rd of 662 public high schools	92.0%		95.2	21^st of 641 public high schools	96.7%	32	360.2	561.8	100.0	98.6								$9,555	$284	$9,271
Heide Trask High	Public	9-12	14328 NC Hwy 210	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 602-6810	732	33	21.8	99.6%	300 (41.0%)	111 (15.2%)	281 (38.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.9%)	21.7	541^st of 662 public high schools	18.3%		18.8	530^th of 641 public high schools	17.3%	11	39.1	49.2	26.8	52.4								$10,484	$771	$9,712
John T Hoggard High	Public	9-12	4305 Shipyard Blvd	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2072	2,082	106	19.5	36.2%	1,358 (65.2%)	269 (12.9%)	315 (15.1%)	37 (1.8%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.0%)	98 (4.7%)	65.8	213^th of 662 public high schools	67.8%		59.6	229^th of 641 public high schools	64.3%	16	69.2	74.4	56.8	77.5								$8,673	$593	$8,080
North Brunswick High	Public	9-12	114 Scorpion Drive	Leland	28451	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 371-2261	1,620	89	18.1	99.8%	809 (49.9%)	314 (19.4%)	352 (21.7%)	3 (0.2%)	13 (0.8%)	4 (0.2%)	125 (7.7%)	49.7	332^nd of 662 public high schools	49.8%		43.8	346^th of 641 public high schools	46.0%	14	62.6	60.0	41.4	75.5								$10,133	$1,075	$9,059

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilmington Early College High

What district is Wilmington Early College High in?

New Hanover County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Wilmington Early College High?

Students at Wilmington Early College High are 54% White, 21% African American, 18% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Wilmington Early College High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 270 students attended Wilmington Early College High.

Is Wilmington Early College High a good school?

Wilmington Early College High ranks 119^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Wilmington Early College High!

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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.