Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28443

The six public schools serving zip code 28443 in the Hampstead, North Carolina, area all belong to Pender County Schools: three elementary schools (North Topsail Elementary, South Topsail Elementary, and Topsail Annandale Elementary School), two middle schools (Topsail Middle and Surf City Middle), and one high school (Topsail High), together enrolling about 5,260 students. The district overall ranks near the middle of North Carolina (51st percentile), but this zip code is one of its brightest pockets: every school here ranks at or above the 75th percentile in its own category, and all six exceed district and state averages on the same tested subjects.

The elementary schools lead the group. Topsail Annandale Elementary School is the highest-ranked school in the zip code (5 stars, 92nd percentile statewide), followed closely by North Topsail Elementary (5 stars, 91st percentile) and South Topsail Elementary (4 stars, 86th percentile). The two 5-star schools average roughly 80% proficiency, about 15–20 points above state averages. North Topsail is especially notable: nearly all of its students (99.1%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet it posts the area's single highest subject score with 90.4% proficiency in 3rd-grade math. Both top elementary schools also have the zip code's lowest chronic absenteeism rates (about 14.5%). Across the elementary grades, math proficiency consistently outpaces reading by wide margins.

The middle and high schools are solid but show contrasting patterns. Topsail Middle (82nd percentile) and Surf City Middle (81st percentile) are nearly identical academically, but attendance tells a different story: Surf City's chronic absenteeism rate of 30.8% is well above the state rate, while Topsail Middle's is 20.1%. Topsail High (75th percentile, 4 stars) is the only high school and enrolls 1,945 students — more than the other five schools combined — with the highest student-teacher ratio (29:1) and a 29.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Its Math I proficiency (57.5%) lags well behind its Biology, English II, and Math III scores (78–86%). For parents, the elementary schools are the area's standout, and the biggest differentiators at the secondary level are attendance and school culture rather than test scores.