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Surf City Middle

Q: Is Surf City Middle a good school?

Surf City Middle ranks 145 th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

145^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 778 North Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 81% of North Carolina middle schools

Summary

Surf City Middle in Hampstead, NC, serves approximately 752 students in grades 6–8 and is part of the Pender County Schools district. This school stands out as one of the highest-performing middle schools in the area, consistently earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 20% of North Carolina middle schools for several consecutive years.

Academically, Surf City Middle posts proficiency rates well above district and state averages, with math and science being clear strengths. For example, 8th-grade science proficiency is remarkably high at 82.9%, and math proficiency outpaces its closest local competitor, Topsail Middle, across all grade levels. While its reading scores are strong, they do trail slightly behind Topsail's in some grades. The school is notably cost-effective, spending less per pupil than other nearby schools like Holly Shelter Middle and Cape Fear Middle, yet achieving dramatically better academic results. It also demonstrates exceptional success with historically underserved student groups, with Hispanic students ranking in the top 10% statewide.

The school's primary challenge is an elevated chronic absenteeism rate of 30.8%, which is significantly higher than the district average and all nearby middle schools, including the demographically similar Topsail Middle (20.1%). This paradox of high test scores alongside high absenteeism suggests the school's positive outcomes are achieved despite this issue. Families should also be aware that outcomes for military-connected students have seen a consistent decline in recent years, an area worth monitoring. Overall, for families in the Hampstead area, Surf City Middle offers a rigorous academic environment, particularly in STEM fields, with the main caveats being its attendance issues and specific subgroup trends.

752

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

21.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12345-B Literacy Lane
Hampstead, NC 28443

(910) 928-0087

District: Pender County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.6%

Hispanic:

8.1%

Two or more races:

6.6%

See top rated North Carolina middle schools

Compare Surf City Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 79th percentile in 2019 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (71% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% 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 school71%

District avg61%

North Carolina avg58%

145^th of 778

North Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 2 pts since 2019

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	78.3	145 of 778	81.4%	★★★★☆
2025	78.5	146 of 773	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	81.6	118 of 793	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.2	139 of 784	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	130 of 786	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	142 of 741	80.8%	★★★★☆
2019	75.6	154 of 737	79.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	69.3	110 of 559	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	64.9	121 of 550	78.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.0	184 of 533	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	66.9	71 of 449	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	68.4	64 of 478	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	73.2	68 of 504	86.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	131 of 731	82.1%	★★★★☆
2025	82.6	103 of 733	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	78.8	135 of 738	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	76.5	146 of 731	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	120 of 733	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	76.4	145 of 706	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	66.4	214 of 684	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	139 of 465	70.1%	★★★★☆
2025	53.6	279 of 458	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.6	205 of 461	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.1	115 of 452	74.6%	★★★★☆
2022	55.9	246 of 450	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	72.9	76 of 448	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	61.6	174 of 416	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.3	53 of 566	90.6%	★★★★★
2025	72.9	97 of 562	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.4	124 of 564	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	71.0	111 of 553	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	67.7	122 of 541	77.4%	★★★★☆
2021	73.2	73 of 522	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.7	183 of 493	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	58.0	24 of 71	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	209 of 725	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	77.4	103 of 729	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	72.3	128 of 743	82.8%	★★★★☆
2023	60.1	247 of 735	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.0	135 of 689	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	76.7	81 of 633	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	78.7	77 of 639	87.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	150 of 736	79.6%	★★★★☆
2025	72.6	173 of 733	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	111 of 751	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	128 of 747	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	80.1	128 of 748	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.2	128 of 711	82.0%	★★★★☆
2019	80.4	111 of 697	84.1%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.3	39 of 67	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	56.0	28 of 64	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.5	14 of 58	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	6 of 54	88.9%	★★★★★
2022	80.3	5 of 58	91.4%	★★★★★
2021	74.2	8 of 57	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	2 of 48	95.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	76.3	58 of 333	82.6%	★★★★☆
2025	75.5	59 of 328	82.0%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	63 of 306	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	70 of 302	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	70.8	54 of 283	80.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.3	168 of 500	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.6	218 of 478	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.5	183 of 473	61.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	258 of 644	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.9	242 of 649	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.0	205 of 652	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.1	220 of 656	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.9	191 of 658	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	206 of 632	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.5	251 of 624	59.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)91st percentile+9 vs school

Disabled (2022)84th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)82nd percentile~ school

African American (2023)80th percentile~ school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile-10 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)70th percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2026)66th percentile-15 vs school

Homeless (2019)66th percentile-13 vs school

White (2026)60th percentile-21 vs school

Military Connected (2026)42nd percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science83%+14 vs state

Mathematics72%+16 vs state

Reading65%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Surf City 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/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 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
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
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
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
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	99.1%	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
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	99.1%	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Surf City Middle

Is Surf City Middle a good school?

Surf City Middle ranks 145^th of 778 North Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Surf City Middle?

Students at Surf City Middle are 83% White, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Surf City Middle in?

Pender County Schools

How many students attend Surf City Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 752 students attended Surf City Middle.

Rate Surf City Middle!

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NCNorth Carolina Middle School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Hampstead, NC

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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.