Enrollment
346
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wake Forest, NC
North Wake College and Career Academy
Federal NCES profile for North Wake College and Career Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370472003410
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Wake College and Career Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Wake Forest · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 24.4%
- free-lunch eligible
North Wake College and Career Academy has class sizes larger than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Wake College and Career Academy ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Wake Forest, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472003410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Wake College and Career Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Wake College and Career Academy
North Wake College and Career Academy is a mid-sized high school in Wake Forest, North Carolina, enrolling 346 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.4% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 346 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 116 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and African American (34%) (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wake Forest's high schools, it stands alongside Wake Forest High School (2,043 students): North Wake College and Career Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.3:1 vs 18.4:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside North Wake College and Career Academy.
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 North Wake College and Career Academy compares
North Wake College and Career Academy 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.4% | ▼ 63% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 75% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$11,859
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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 35.3%
African American 33.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 35.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, North Wake College and Career Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes North Wake College and Career Academy.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 North Wake College and Career Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Wake College and Career Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Wake Forest
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~346 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Wake College and Career Academy's federal record.
- Compare North Wake College and Career Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Wake County 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 North Wake College and Career Academy
How many students attend North Wake College and Career Academy?
North Wake College and Career Academy has 346 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wake Forest, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Wake College and Career Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at North Wake College and Career Academy is 17.3:1, which is 9% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Wake College and Career Academy?
24.4% of students at North Wake College and Career Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Wake College and Career Academy?
The largest demographic group at North Wake College and Career Academy is White at 35.3% of enrollment, in Wake Forest, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Wake College and Career Academy?
North Wake College and Career Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 North Wake College and Career Academy rank among high schools in Wake Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, North Wake College and Career Academy ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Wake Forest, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Wake Forest on the city page.
Is North Wake College and Career Academy a good school?
North Wake College and Career Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of North Carolina schools. 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides North Wake College and Career Academy, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake County 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.