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

Wilkes Early College High School

Q: Is Wilkes Early College High School a good school?

Wilkes Early College High School ranks 79 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

79^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 88% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Wilkes Early College High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, part of the Wilkes County Schools district. With 254 students, the school has consistently ranked among the top high schools in the state, earning a 4-5 star rating from SchoolDigger in recent years.

Wilkes Early College High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the Wilkes County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in end-of-course (EOC) test scores. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 89.3% proficiency in Biology EOC, compared to 44.9% for the district and 48.3% for the state. The school also boasts consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 86.5% to 93.2% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

While the nearby high schools in the Wilkes County Schools district generally perform well, Wilkes Early College High School stands out as a top-performing school in the region, with significantly higher academic achievement in several key areas. However, the school's relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 28.1 to 28.5 in recent years, may present some challenges in terms of personalized attention and support for students, which could be an area for further investigation and improvement.

265

Students ?

29.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,729

Per pupil spending ?

98.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1328 S Collegiate Dr
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

(336) 838-6247

District: Wilkes County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.4%

Hispanic:

13.6%

Two or more races:

4.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Wilkes Early College High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2021 → 88th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (88% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of North Carolina high schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Wilkes County Schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2021

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

!Large classes — about 29 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school88%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg53%

79^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 12%▼ down 9 pts since 2021

From top 3% (2021) to top 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5High Schools in the Wilkes County Schools

104^th of 242Wilkes 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
2025	89.7	79 of 641	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	90.2	72 of 640	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	91.8	53 of 626	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	95.9	17 of 621	97.3%	★★★★★
2021	96.5	17 of 594	97.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	86.4	90 of 610	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	87.5	86 of 602	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	91.1	54 of 588	90.8%	★★★★★
2022	95.2	16 of 594	97.3%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	157 of 412	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.1	108 of 403	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	1 of 403	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	82.5	27 of 398	93.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	94.2	40 of 462	91.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	90.7	74 of 606	87.8%	★★★★☆
2024	94.6	59 of 613	90.4%	★★★★★
2023	95.3	44 of 597	92.6%	★★★★★
2022	97.2	31 of 544	94.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	92.4	65 of 601	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	92.3	66 of 607	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	95.8	32 of 602	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	96.8	16 of 585	97.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	86.8	75 of 542	86.2%	★★★★☆
2024	88.2	77 of 553	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	88.0	66 of 537	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	94.7	16 of 534	97.0%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2025)91st percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)89th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile~ school

White (2025)86th percentile~ school

Female (2025)85th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2025)62nd percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English II100%+40 vs state

Math III91%+25 vs state

Biology89%+41 vs state

Math I58%+23 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Wilkes Early College High School and help other families decide.

Rate Wilkes Early College High School

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Wilkes Early College High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wilkes Early College High School	Public	9-12	1328 S Collegiate Dr	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 838-6247	265	9	29.4	98.9%	205 (77.4%)	6 (2.3%)	36 (13.6%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	89.7	79^th of 641 public high schools	87.7%		90.2	72^nd of 640 public high schools	88.8%	7	89.3	100.0	57.6	91.0	$6,729	$458	$6,271
Wilkes Central High School	Public	9-12	1179 Moravian Falls Rd	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 667-5277	719	49	14.6	99.6%	365 (50.8%)	79 (11.0%)	191 (26.6%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (10.3%)	45.9	332^nd of 641 public high schools	48.2%		30.9	442^nd of 640 public high schools	30.9%	110	28.7	54.9	54.3	70.3	$9,054	$938	$8,116
West Wilkes High School	Public	9-12	6598 Boone Trail	Millers Creek	28651	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 903-6710	582	41	14.3	99.3%	464 (79.7%)	4 (0.7%)	97 (16.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.4%)	50.2	293^rd of 641 public high schools	54.3%		51.4	290^th of 640 public high schools	54.7%	3	41.1	51.5	57.8	69.1	$9,570	$787	$8,783
North Wilkes High School	Public	9-12	2986 Traphill Rd	Hays	28635	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 903-4040	578	40	14.4	97.9%	457 (79.1%)	6 (1.0%)	92 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.8%)	62.3	217^th of 641 public high schools	66.1%		71.1	174^th of 640 public high schools	72.8%	43	43.6	69.7	59.1	80.8	$9,880	$1,015	$8,865
Alexander Central High	Public	9-12	223 School Drive	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7063	1,254	79	15.9	99.8%	992 (79.1%)	59 (4.7%)	129 (10.3%)	10 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (4.9%)	48.8	310^th of 641 public high schools	51.6%		54.2	269^th of 640 public high schools	58.0%	41	41.5	57.1	39.9	76.0	$10,255	$776	$9,479
Alexander Early College	Public	9-12	345 Industrial Blvd	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-8221	172	6	28.6	98.3%	122 (70.9%)	3 (1.7%)	34 (19.8%)	9 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	87.2	96^th of 641 public high schools	85.0%		86.3	106^th of 640 public high schools	83.4%	10	66.7	85.4	78.1	97.5	$6,455	$116	$6,339
East Wilkes High School	Public	9-12	13315 Elkin Hwy 268	Ronda	28670	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 651-7200	469	28	16.4	99.4%	407 (86.8%)	5 (1.1%)	30 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.3%)	45.8	333^rd of 641 public high schools	48.0%		69.4	182^nd of 640 public high schools	71.6%	151	54.3	55.5	37.5	59.2	$10,562	$769	$9,794
Elkin High	Public	9-12	334 Elk Spur St	Elkin	28621	Surry County	Elkin City Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 835-3858	401	28	14.5	50.9%	264 (65.8%)	14 (3.5%)	97 (24.2%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)	72.6	168^th of 641 public high schools	73.8%		72.7	167^th of 640 public high schools	73.9%	1	54.3	78.0	53.3	89.5	$12,105	$1,046	$11,058

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilkes Early College High School

How many students attend Wilkes Early College High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 265 students attended Wilkes Early College High School.

What district is Wilkes Early College High School in?

Wilkes County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Wilkes Early College High School?

Students at Wilkes Early College High School are 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

Is Wilkes Early College High School a good school?

Wilkes Early College High School ranks 79^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Wilkes Early College High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Wilkesboro, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Wilkes Early College High School!

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.