Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

North Topsail Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

129^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

North Topsail Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Hampstead, NC, serving 529 students in Pender County Schools. The school has ranked in the top 10–15% of North Carolina elementary schools for a decade, earning 5 out of 5 stars and a 91st-percentile statewide rank in its latest rating.

In the most recent year, North Topsail ranked 129th out of 1,492 elementary schools statewide, just behind Topsail Annandale Elementary School (116th) and ahead of other local Pender schools such as South Topsail Elementary, Surf City Elementary, and Rocky Point Elementary. Test scores run well above both district and state averages in every subject and grade. Third-grade math proficiency is 90.4%, versus 70.5% for Pender County Schools and 66.4% statewide; 5th-grade science is 87.4%, versus 74.0% and 67.7%. The one soft spot has been 3rd-grade reading, which hovered near 52–58% before jumping to 71.1% this year. That latest spike is encouraging but bears watching.

The school also reports far less chronic absenteeism (14.5%) than its district (24.5%) or the state (24.2%). What truly sets North Topsail apart is how well it serves students who often struggle elsewhere: special education students rank 19th out of 815 schools statewide (98th percentile), and low-income students sit in the 89th percentile. By contrast, gifted student rankings dropped sharply to the 40th percentile, and military-connected student results have been volatile. A free/reduced lunch figure of 99% is almost certainly a reporting artifact rather than a real shift in the student population. Overall, North Topsail is one of the strongest public elementary schools in the Hampstead area, though it trails Ogden Elementary (97th percentile, 13.5 miles away) in the neighboring New Hanover County Schools district.

529

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

99.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1310 Sloop Point Loop Road
Hampstead, NC 28443

(910) 270-0694

District: Pender County Schools

Students who attend North Topsail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Topsail Middle
High:	Pender Early College High
	Topsail High

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.1%

Hispanic:

6.8%

Two or more races:

5.3%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare North Topsail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of North Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg65%

North Carolina avg61%

129^th of 1,492

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to top 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary 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	89.2	129 of 1492	91.4%	★★★★★
2025	85.5	165 of 1490	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	88.8	130 of 1505	91.4%	★★★★★
2023	85.6	156 of 1502	89.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	279 of 1514	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	90.2	116 of 1489	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	85.3	162 of 1473	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	331 of 1434	76.9%	★★★★☆
2017	83.8	168 of 1429	88.2%	★★★★☆
2016	75.9	296 of 1425	79.2%	★★★★☆
2015	71.4	388 of 1440	73.1%	★★★★☆
2014	63.3	490 of 1390	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.6	477 of 1403	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.6	589 of 1388	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	76.4	263 of 1381	81.0%	★★★★☆
2010	78.5	230 of 1363	83.1%	★★★★☆
2009	75.0	295 of 1354	78.2%	★★★★☆
2008	66.8	406 of 1324	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.3	461 of 1293	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.7	421 of 1276	67.0%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	36.9	379 of 634	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	61.0	166 of 646	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	43.3	478 of 897	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.9	95 of 1447	93.4%	★★★★★
2025	85.8	143 of 1451	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	84.8	156 of 1455	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	174 of 1459	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	289 of 1458	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	86.0	149 of 1440	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	81.1	195 of 1424	86.3%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	436 of 1405	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.7	449 of 743	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	64.3	228 of 710	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.7	195 of 669	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	68.0	102 of 582	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	51.8	342 of 500	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.8	160 of 494	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	42.9	502 of 851	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.2	159 of 1434	88.9%	★★★★☆
2025	79.8	156 of 1437	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	81 of 1450	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	87.2	75 of 1437	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	73.6	233 of 1366	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.1	130 of 1329	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	73.3	262 of 1361	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	350 of 1332	73.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.7	169 of 1451	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	82.7	197 of 1450	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	88.4	122 of 1464	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	85.0	151 of 1461	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	298 of 1464	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	89.9	107 of 1444	92.6%	★★★★★
2019	86.3	144 of 1430	89.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	243 of 1413	82.8%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	57 of 67	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	55.4	35 of 72	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.8	6 of 75	92.0%	★★★★★
2023	82.1	12 of 81	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	12 of 85	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	89.9	2 of 76	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	64.4	25 of 72	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.4	17 of 76	77.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.6	19 of 815	97.7%	★★★★★
2025	86.7	44 of 821	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	92.0	27 of 801	96.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.1	268 of 1146	76.6%	★★★★☆
2025	69.2	326 of 1172	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	280 of 1166	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	68.5	336 of 1183	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	57.3	500 of 1194	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.6	255 of 1172	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	68.3	344 of 1183	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	56.2	537 of 1178	54.4%	★★★☆☆

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)98th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile~ school

Male (2026)88th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2018)41st percentile-36 vs school

Disabled (2022)40th percentile-41 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)40th percentile-52 vs school

Military Connected (2026)15th percentile-76 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science87%+20 vs state

Mathematics85%+21 vs state

Reading73%+17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate North Topsail Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, March 2, 2018

I love this school! The teachers are amazing, the extracurriculars available are awesome, and they embrace military kids! Close Quote

Schools Near North Topsail Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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/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	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
North Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1310 Sloop Point Loop Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-0694	529	33	15.9	99.1%	450 (85.1%)	12 (2.3%)	36 (6.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	89.2	129^th of 1492 public elementary schools	91.4%		85.5	165^th of 1490 public elementary schools	88.9%	36	90.4	86.4	78.4	71.1	75.4	72.1	87.4	$9,936	$444	$9,492
Topsail Annandale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	17385 US Hwy 17	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-1977	580	34	17.0	19.8%	502 (86.6%)	13 (2.2%)	42 (7.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.9%)	89.8	116^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.2%		90.3	106^th of 1490 public elementary schools	92.9%	10	87.9	80.8		77.8	74.6			$8,786	$660	$8,125
South Topsail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	997 Hoover Road	Hampstead	28443	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 270-2756	618	38	16.1	99.5%	475 (76.9%)	19 (3.1%)	67 (10.8%)	8 (1.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.3%)	82.1	214^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.7%		77	297^th of 1490 public elementary schools	80.1%	83	80.4	74.2	85.1	66.7	64.5	73.4	85.1	$10,357	$486	$9,871
Surf City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12345-A Literacy Lane	Hampstead	28445	Onslow County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 928-0067	857	51	16.8	99.6%	684 (79.8%)	25 (2.9%)	79 (9.2%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (7.2%)	78.3	264^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.3%		66.8	451^st of 1490 public elementary schools	69.7%	187	81.9	69.7	77.2	67.8	68.3	65.5	75.9	$7,721	$547	$7,175
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
Coastal Elementary	Public	K-5	370 Folkstone Rd	Holly Ridge	28445	Onslow County	Onslow County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 455-2448	833	58	14.4	33.1%	612 (73.5%)	18 (2.2%)	123 (14.8%)	6 (0.7%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (7.8%)	78.5	259^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		82.1	215^th of 1490 public elementary schools	85.6%	44	77.2	69.2	72.4	73.1	72.6	64.6	78.0
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
Rocky Point Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Elementary School Road	Rocky Point	28457	Pender County	Pender County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 675-2309	403	29	13.7	99.3%	145 (36.0%)	55 (13.6%)	189 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	46.6	793^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.8%		62.5	522^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	65.0%	271	52.8	58.1	72.6	41.5	51.6	58.1	66.1	$11,562	$1,485	$10,077
Murrayville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Mabee Way	Wilmington	28411	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 790-5067	573	40	14.2	99.5%	297 (51.8%)	79 (13.8%)	129 (22.5%)	27 (4.7%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	36 (6.3%)	76.7	287^th of 1492 public elementary schools	80.8%		66.6	454^th of 1490 public elementary schools	69.5%	167	81.3	71.1	78.4	66.7	61.1	64.9	78.4	$9,901	$832	$9,069
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

Frequently Asked Questions about North Topsail Elementary

How many students attend North Topsail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 529 students attended North Topsail Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of North Topsail Elementary?

Students at North Topsail Elementary are 85% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of North Topsail Elementary attend?

Students who attend North Topsail Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Topsail Middle
High : Pender Early College High
High : Topsail High

Is North Topsail Elementary a good school?

Yes. North Topsail Elementary ranks in the top 8.6% of North Carolina elementary schools.

What district is North Topsail Elementary in?

Pender County Schools

Rate North Topsail Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Hampstead, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for North Topsail Elementary!

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.