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Topsail Middle

Q: Is Topsail Middle a good school?

Topsail Middle ranks 143 rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

143^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 82% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Topsail Middle in Hampstead, North Carolina, serves 837 students in grades 5 through 8 as part of Pender County Schools and stands out as one of the highest-performing middle schools in the area. Over the past decade, it has consistently ranked between the 82nd and 92nd percentile statewide, recently earning 4 out of 5 stars and placing 143rd out of 778 North Carolina middle schools. In nearly every subject and grade, Topsail students post proficiency rates well above both district and state averages.

For families comparing schools, Surf City Middle is Topsail's closest competitor at essentially the same ranking — 145th versus 143rd — but many other nearby schools lag behind. Cape Fear Middle, Dixon Middle, and Holly Shelter Middle all rank hundreds of places lower. Science is a real standout here: roughly 89% of 5th graders and 81% of 8th graders are proficient, far exceeding state averages. Reading is also strong, with 7th grade reading scores running about 15 points above the North Carolina average.

The school has also made major strides in attendance. Chronic absenteeism dropped from 41.2% in 2021–22 to 20.1% in the most recent year — better than the district and state averages, and far better than Surf City Middle's 30.8% rate. This performance comes with relatively lean resources: per-student spending is about $8,344, lower than most nearby schools, and student-teacher ratios run higher. One watch item is that the most recent year saw noticeable declines in the percentile rankings of special education, low-income, and gifted students, even as overall results remain strong. Parents may want to ask how the school plans to keep all learners progressing.

837

Students ?

18.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

20.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

17445 US Hwy 17
Hampstead, NC 28443

(910) 270-2612

District: Pender County Schools

Students who attend Topsail Middle usually attend:

High:	Pender Early College High
	Topsail High

Feeder schools for Topsail Middle:

Elementary:	North Topsail Elementary
	South Topsail Elementary
	Topsail Annandale Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.5%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Topsail Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 83rd percentile in 2016 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (72% vs 59% meeting standards)

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

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg63%

North Carolina avg59%

143^rd of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

120^th of 246Pender 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	78.4	143 of 778	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	82.5	113 of 773	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	116 of 793	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	120 of 784	84.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	119 of 786	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	89.0	58 of 741	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	85.7	74 of 737	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	79.1	119 of 691	82.8%	★★★★☆
2017	84.3	79 of 694	88.6%	★★★★☆
2016	79.2	116 of 692	83.2%	★★★★☆
2015	81.3	108 of 705	84.7%	★★★★☆
2014	82.5	91 of 627	85.5%	★★★★☆
2013	83.2	88 of 673	86.9%	★★★★☆
2012	80.0	89 of 662	86.6%	★★★★☆
2011	78.4	107 of 648	83.5%	★★★★☆
2010	75.3	139 of 640	78.3%	★★★★☆
2009	78.0	115 of 630	81.7%	★★★★☆
2008	82.0	76 of 620	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	80.5	65 of 606	89.3%	★★★★☆
2006	83.4	48 of 598	92.0%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	54.0	126 of 449	71.9%	★★★★☆
2021	85.6	19 of 478	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	73.4	67 of 504	86.7%	★★★★☆
2018	50.3	184 of 475	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.7	98 of 731	86.6%	★★★★☆
2025	85.5	79 of 733	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	107 of 738	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	84.5	94 of 731	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	101 of 733	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	88.9	54 of 706	92.4%	★★★★★
2019	85.1	71 of 684	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.8	113 of 656	82.8%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.9	303 of 465	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	69.7	96 of 458	79.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	35 of 461	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	69.0	106 of 452	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	60.5	196 of 450	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.3	47 of 448	89.5%	★★★★☆
2019	64.9	132 of 416	68.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	123 of 566	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	86.3	44 of 562	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	86.4	46 of 564	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	78.1	70 of 553	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	127 of 541	76.5%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	67 of 522	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	78.5	63 of 493	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	74.9	72 of 472	84.7%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	91.3	4 of 71	94.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.4	279 of 725	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	81.2	77 of 729	89.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.9	62 of 743	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	67.5	175 of 735	76.2%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	108 of 689	84.3%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	71 of 633	88.8%	★★★★☆
2019	84.9	43 of 639	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	63.3	186 of 604	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.4	178 of 736	75.8%	★★★★☆
2025	76.6	146 of 733	80.1%	★★★★☆
2024	79.5	129 of 751	82.8%	★★★★☆
2023	77.3	148 of 747	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	81.5	119 of 748	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	87.7	65 of 711	90.9%	★★★★★
2019	84.8	81 of 697	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	109 of 665	83.6%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	23 of 67	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	72.3	11 of 64	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	71.2	17 of 58	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	13 of 54	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	9 of 58	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	93.3	1 of 57	98.2%	★★★★★
2019	78.2	6 of 48	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	86.5	3 of 45	93.3%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	71 of 333	78.7%	★★★★☆
2025	85.2	33 of 328	89.9%	★★★★★
2024	90.2	19 of 306	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	69.6	73 of 302	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	41 of 283	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	71.0	48 of 248	80.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	52 of 221	76.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	290 of 500	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.1	82 of 478	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	67.1	74 of 473	84.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	259 of 644	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.2	205 of 649	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.3	209 of 652	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.5	209 of 656	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.9	193 of 658	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	77.8	119 of 632	81.2%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	127 of 624	79.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.0	217 of 596	63.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2019)94th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)87th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)79th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)78th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)76th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2022)72nd percentile-13 vs school

Military Connected (2026)66th percentile-16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile-20 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)42nd percentile-40 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science84%+16 vs state

Mathematics70%+12 vs state

Reading68%+13 vs state

2.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, February 19, 2016

There is a new principle for the years 2015/2016 as the new one we just met last year quit before starting. There are many problems with the dismissal at the end of the day. First of all its a free for all parking lot to pick up your child with parents speeding around the lot because the pick up line is a joke, sometimes there are two helpers which don't do much as far as Help. When you try to leave the school with your child you are stopped by the school busses because at the circle they cut you off so you can't leave,also the other bus drivers can speed by and get out as fast as they can, not to mention the high school students also get out the same time and also follow the path of the buses speeding by. I brought the problems up to the new Principle but she states There is No Problem, being clueless in any school problems is her specialty. There is a big problem with bullying as I used to work there but again, Not a problem. Most of the teachers are great but a few have a mean streak that they take out on the kids in the lunch room daily. So in other words be careful in the parking lot and don't talk to Mrs Clueless. Close Quote

Schools Near Topsail Middle

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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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Topsail Middle	Public	5-8	17445 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2612	837	45	18.6	20.1%	699 (83.5%)	21 (2.5%)	67 (8.0%)	8 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.5%)	78.4	143^rd of 778 public middle schools	81.6%		82.5	113^th of 773 public middle schools	85.4%	30	79.3	73.8	69.9	61.4	68.9	65.5	71.5	67.7	88.9	80.9	$8,344	$489	$7,855
Surf City Middle	Public	6-8	12345-B Literacy Lane	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 928-0087	752	41	18.4	21.3%	621 (82.6%)	11 (1.5%)	61 (8.1%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (6.6%)	78.3	145^th of 778 public middle schools	81.4%		78.5	146^th of 773 public middle schools	81.1%	1		75.6	72.5	67.6		65.4	63.2	66.2		82.9	$6,848	$445	$6,403
Holly Shelter Middle	Public	6-8	3921 Roger Haynes Dr	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-4046	801	53	15.0	—	377 (47.1%)	160 (20.0%)	191 (23.8%)	19 (2.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.2%)	56.6	334^th of 778 public middle schools	57.1%		60	285^th of 773 public middle schools	63.1%	49		63.8	55.5	55.6		60.4	56.6	55.2		66.5	$10,215	$1,188	$9,026
Emma B Trask Middle	Public	6-8	2900 N College Rd	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2142	611	41	14.8	—	301 (49.3%)	100 (16.4%)	138 (22.6%)	19 (3.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.2%)	62.4	274^th of 778 public middle schools	64.8%		61.2	274^th of 773 public middle schools	64.6%			70.4	62.7	60.6		52.2	59.1	58.5		71.0	$9,683	$828	$8,854
M C S Noble Middle	Public	6-8	6520 Market St	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2112	690	40	17.3	38.3%	473 (68.6%)	86 (12.5%)	92 (13.3%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.3%)	71.5	200^th of 778 public middle schools	74.3%		73.9	173^rd of 773 public middle schools	77.6%	27		70.7	76.9	57.8		64.4	66.7	60.9		70.7	$9,109	$612	$8,497
Cape Fear Middle	Public	6-8	1886 NC Hwy 133	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 602-3334	430	32	13.4	—	199 (46.3%)	36 (8.4%)	163 (37.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.0%)	39.5	482^nd of 778 public middle schools	38.0%		48.5	397^th of 773 public middle schools	48.6%	85		57.6	55.0	61.3		35.4	46.6	46.7		56.2	$8,993	$959	$8,034
Dixon Middle	Public	6-8	118 Ridgefield Ave	Sneads Ferry	28460	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 347-2738	997	54	18.4	34.3%	708 (71.0%)	52 (5.2%)	148 (14.8%)	8 (0.8%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	73 (7.3%)	49.6	401^st of 778 public middle schools	48.5%		62.2	267^th of 773 public middle schools	65.5%	134		47.5	55.4	51.0		51.2	54.7	52.3		77.1	$7,866	$808	$7,058
Burgaw Middle	Public	6-8	500 South Wright Street	Burgaw	28425	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 259-0149	236	23	10.2	97.9%	99 (41.9%)	76 (32.2%)	50 (21.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.2%)	17.6	667^th of 778 public middle schools	14.3%		20.4	633^rd of 773 public middle schools	18.1%	34		38.8	46.1	33.8		32.5	38.2	30.8		50.8	$12,822	$1,614	$11,208
Roland-Grise Middle	Public	6-8	4412 Lake Ave	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2136	878	53	16.5	33.5%	602 (68.6%)	60 (6.8%)	164 (18.7%)	8 (0.9%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.6%)	74.1	180^th of 778 public middle schools	76.9%		82.4	114^th of 773 public middle schools	85.3%	66		66.2	73.4	63.2		60.9	67.9	68.7		76.3	$8,894	$611	$8,283
Williston Middle	Public	6-8	401 S 10th St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 815-6906	666	47	14.0	—	80 (12.0%)	269 (40.4%)	274 (41.1%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.0%)	11.6	711^th of 778 public middle schools	8.6%		10.6	716^th of 773 public middle schools	7.4%	5		43.0	31.7	33.8		26.9	20.1	32.3		43.1	$12,800	$1,697	$11,103

Frequently Asked Questions about Topsail Middle

How many students attend Topsail Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 837 students attended Topsail Middle.

What high school do graduates of Topsail Middle attend?

Students who attend Topsail Middle usually go on to attend Pender Early College High

Is Topsail Middle a good school?

Topsail Middle ranks 143^rd of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Topsail Middle in?

Pender County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Topsail Middle?

Students at Topsail Middle are 84% White, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

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.