Enrollment
294
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cary, NC
Wake Stem Early College High School
Federal NCES profile for Wake Stem Early College High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370472003192
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wake Stem Early College High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 7
- high schools in Cary · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 24.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wake Stem Early College High School has class sizes larger than 89% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wake Stem Early College High School ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Cary, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472003192 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wake Stem Early College High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wake Stem Early College High School
Wake Stem Early College High School is a mid-sized high school in Cary, North Carolina, enrolling 294 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 89% of North Carolina schools and 24% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.0% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 294 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 93 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (33%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 75/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 294 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Cary's high schools, it stands alongside Panther Creek High (2,609 students): Wake Stem Early College High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 22.1:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Wake Stem Early College High School.
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 Wake Stem Early College High School compares
Wake Stem Early College High School 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 24% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.0% | ▼ 64% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 294 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
294
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 89% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 294 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 33.3%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
Asian 20.4%
African American 13.6%
Two or More 4.1%
Largest group: White at 33.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.6, Wake Stem Early College High School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Wake Stem Early College High School.
$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 Wake Stem Early College High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wake Stem Early College High School'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 Cary
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Panther Creek High
Standard public school
2,609 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Green Hope High
Standard public school
2,304 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Green Level High
Standard public school
2,283 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Cary High
Standard public school
2,044 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Score Academy
Alternative education program
584 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Crossroads Flex
Standard public school
139 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~294 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wake Stem Early College High School's federal record.
- Compare Wake Stem Early College High School 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 Wake Stem Early College High School
How many students attend Wake Stem Early College High School?
Wake Stem Early College High School has 294 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cary, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wake Stem Early College High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wake Stem Early College High School is 19.6:1, which is 24% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wake Stem Early College High School?
24.0% of students at Wake Stem Early College High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wake Stem Early College High School?
The largest demographic group at Wake Stem Early College High School is White at 33.3% of enrollment, in Cary, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wake Stem Early College High School?
Wake Stem Early College High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Wake Stem Early College High School rank among high schools in Cary?
By Resource Investment Index, Wake Stem Early College High School ranks #1 of 7 high schools in Cary, 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 Cary on the city page.
Is Wake Stem Early College High School a good school?
Wake Stem Early College High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Wake Stem Early College High School, 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.