Best High Schools in Zip Code 28557

In ZIP code 28557 (Morehead City, NC), there are two public schools serving high school grades: West Carteret High (grades 9–12, about 1,095 students) and Bridges School (grades 6–12, just 11 students). Both belong to Carteret County Public Schools, a district rated in the 87th percentile statewide. These two schools could hardly be more different: West Carteret is the area’s sole traditional comprehensive high school, while Bridges is a tiny, specialized alternative program with a 3.6-to-1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $50,386 — about five times West Carteret’s $10,075.

For parents weighing the main option, West Carteret High is a solid, improving school. It currently ranks 224 out of 662 North Carolina high schools (66th percentile, 3-star), and its rank has climbed steadily from the 56th percentile three years ago. Despite an extraordinarily high 99% free/reduced lunch rate, West Carteret exceeds state proficiency averages in Biology, English II, and Math III. The glaring exception is Math I, where only 39.6% of students are proficient — far below the district’s 62.8% and a decline of 5.8 points from the prior year. The good news: Biology, English II, and Math III all improved sharply year over year. The school’s graduation rate is 83%, with a student-teacher ratio of 23.1.

The bigger concern across the ZIP code is attendance. West Carteret High has a 29.8% chronic absenteeism rate, well above the state’s 24.2%, and Bridges School is at 66.6%. Bridges has no test scores or state rank, which is expected for such a small, high-support alternative setting. Overall, West Carteret is the school that shapes this ZIP code’s academic profile, and its chief challenges are clear: fix Math I and reduce chronic absenteeism while sustaining the strong upward momentum seen in most subjects.