Summary:
In zip code 28557, there is exactly one middle school serving grades 6 through 8: Morehead City Middle, located in Morehead City, NC, and part of Carteret County Public Schools.
As the only middle school in the area, Morehead City Middle stands alone in zip code 28557. It has earned a consistent 4-star rating for three straight years and ranks in the top quartile statewide, placing around #178 out of 778 North Carolina middle schools in 2025–2026. The school enrolls 506 students and has a student–teacher ratio of 15:1. Notably, 99.41% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school still outperforms state averages in nearly every subject and grade. In 2025–2026, proficiency rates were above state benchmarks across all grade levels, with 7th grade math at 74% (17.8 points above the state average) and 8th grade science at 76.2% (7.6 points above). While the school trails its district in most subject areas, the gaps are generally small, with the largest being in 6th grade math (61.6% versus the district's 70.9%). Chronic absenteeism is 20.0%, better than the state average of 24.2% but slightly worse than the district's 18.7%.
Year-over-year trends show a mix of progress and areas to watch. 8th grade reading jumped from 56.1% to 70.8%, 8th grade math improved from 57.1% to 66.5%, and 8th grade science rose from 72.2% to 76.2%. By contrast, 6th grade math and reading both dropped by about 4 to 5 points. The school’s spending per student figure of $9,647 dates back to 2018–2019, so it should be viewed with caution. Overall, Morehead City Middle is a stable, high-performing school serving a highly economically disadvantaged population, staying above state averages and maintaining a top-quartile statewide ranking while remaining just slightly behind its own district’s performance.
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