Enrollment
521
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Beaufort, NC
East Carteret High
Federal NCES profile for East Carteret High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370063000253
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Carteret High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Beaufort · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
East Carteret High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Carteret High ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Beaufort, NC.
School address
District: Carteret County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370063000253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Carteret High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Carteret High
East Carteret High is a mid-sized high school in Beaufort, North Carolina, enrolling 521 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 521 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 408 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #117.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 208 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 521 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Carteret County Public Schools also operates West Carteret High (1,095 students) and Croatan High (1,019 students) alongside East Carteret High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How East Carteret High compares
East Carteret High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 37% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,086
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
123
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 78.1%
African American 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, East Carteret High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carteret County Public Schools, which includes East Carteret High.
$13,086
Per student
+9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 54.7%
Federal 19.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How East Carteret High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Carteret High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Croatan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broad Creek Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newport Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Carteret High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,095
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,019
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~521 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Carteret High's federal record.
- Compare East Carteret High against another school. Compare schools
- Carteret County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about East Carteret High
How many students attend East Carteret High?
East Carteret High has 521 students enrolled. It is a high school in Beaufort, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Carteret High?
The student-teacher ratio at East Carteret High is 13.7:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Carteret High?
41.7% of students at East Carteret High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Carteret High?
The largest demographic group at East Carteret High is White at 78.1% of enrollment, in Beaufort, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Carteret High?
East Carteret High has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does East Carteret High rank among public schools in Beaufort?
By Resource Investment Index, East Carteret High ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Beaufort, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Beaufort on the city page.
Is East Carteret High a good school?
East Carteret High earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Carteret County Public Schools?
Besides East Carteret High, Carteret County Public Schools also operates West Carteret High (1,095 students), Croatan High (1,019 students), and White Oak Elementary (784 students). See the Carteret County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.