Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28405

Summary:

The 28405 zip code area of New Hanover County, North Carolina is home to 8 schools, including 3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 3 high schools, all part of the New Hanover County Schools district. While the district is ranked 78 out of 242 in the state, the schools in this area demonstrate a mix of academic performance, with some standout middle schools and challenges at the elementary and high school levels.

The two middle schools, M C S Noble Middle and Emma B Trask Middle, consistently outperform the district and state averages on standardized tests, particularly in mathematics and reading, and rank among the top 25-30% of middle schools in North Carolina. In contrast, the elementary schools, John J Blair Elementary and A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des, struggle with lower proficiency rates, especially in reading, compared to the district and state.

The high schools in the area, Emsley A Laney High and Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, have mixed performance, with Emsley A Laney performing below the district and state averages on end-of-course exams, while Girls Leadership Academy performs closer to the state average. Additionally, the Career Readiness Academy at Mosley PLC stands out for its high graduation rate, matching the district average.

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)	EOG Mathematics (2025)						EOG Reading (2025)						EOG Science (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	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th 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
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%)	34.7	415^th of 641 public high schools	35.3%		46.4	321^st of 640 public high schools	49.8%	94	32.4	63.9	32.0	50.0				56.8	56.3	53.2				68.2	60.9	61.3		67.7
R Freeman School of Engineering	Public, Magnet	K-5	2601 Princess Place Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6011	241	22	10.8	98.8%	7 (2.9%)	170 (70.5%)	44 (18.3%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.5%)	1.1	1488^th of 1490 public elementary schools	0.1%		1.1	1503^rd of 1505 public elementary schools	0.1%	15					16.7	15.0	12.8				5.6	17.5	10.3				25.6		$16,676	$2,332	$14,344
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	99.5%	301 (49.3%)	100 (16.4%)	138 (22.6%)	19 (3.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.2%)	61.2	274^th of 773 public middle schools	64.6%		67.9	223^rd of 793 public middle schools	71.9%	51								73.1	70.4	54.0				55.8	56.1	48.3		54.5	$9,683	$828	$8,854
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%)	42.9	351^st of 641 public high schools	45.2%		47.4	315^th of 640 public high schools	50.8%	36	38.9	60.2	32.2	65.9															$8,690	$533	$8,157
John J Blair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6510 Market Street	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(910) 350-2045	451	34	13.1	99.1%	184 (40.8%)	58 (12.9%)	138 (30.6%)	23 (5.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.8%)	35.3	995^th of 1490 public elementary schools	33.2%		52.9	701^st of 1505 public elementary schools	53.4%	294					70.7	47.3	56.8				34.7	39.2	41.9				50.7		$10,293	$831	$9,462
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%)	73.9	173^rd of 773 public middle schools	77.6%		80.9	124^th of 793 public middle schools	84.4%	49								71.8	65.4	58.3				68.8	56.6	62.3		69.1	$9,109	$612	$8,497
A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des	Public, Magnet	K-5	2150 Chestnut Street	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(910) 251-6175	342	27	12.7	99.1%	37 (10.8%)	216 (63.2%)	60 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.2%)	14.6	1353^rd of 1490 public elementary schools	9.2%		14.2	1375^th of 1505 public elementary schools	8.6%	22					44.8	36.4	41.4				17.2	27.3	24.6				55.2		$15,103	$2,324	$12,779
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%)	91.7	86^th of 1490 public elementary schools	94.2%		91.1	100^th of 1505 public elementary schools	93.4%	14					84.3	91.2	87.7				72.9	77.9	67.7				83.1		$10,965	$754	$10,211
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%)	22.9	507^th of 641 public high schools	20.9%		28.3	465^th of 640 public high schools	27.3%	42	26.9	45.8	30.8	30.0															$21,178	$2,660	$18,517

Cities Near Zip Code 28405

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilmington	1.19 mi	45	220^th
Castle Hayne	4.19 mi	5	74^th
Wrightsville Beach	4.9 mi	1	2^nd
Hampstead	9.52 mi	7	42^nd
Rocky Point	10.03 mi	5	329^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.