Enrollment
1,095
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Morehead City, NC
West Carteret High
Federal NCES profile for West Carteret High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370063000259
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Carteret High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Morehead City · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 38.1%
- free-lunch eligible
West Carteret High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Carteret High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Morehead City, NC.
School address
District: Carteret County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370063000259 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Carteret High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Carteret High
West Carteret High is a large high school in Morehead City, North Carolina, enrolling 1,095 students.
At 15.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,095 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #150.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% 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: 547 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,095 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Morehead City's high schools, it stands alongside Marine Sci. and Tech. Early College Hs (49 students): West Carteret High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 24.5:1).
Carteret County Public Schools also operates Croatan High (1,019 students) and White Oak Elementary (784 students) alongside West 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 West Carteret High compares
West 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.1% | ▼ 42% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,095 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,095
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.9%
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
418
in-school suspensions + 129 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 38.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.0 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 70.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
African American 6.8%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.8, West 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 West 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 West Carteret High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatan High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Broad Creek Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Newport Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Carteret High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Carteret High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- 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
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools in Morehead City
1 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 (~1,095 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Carteret High's federal record.
- Compare West 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 West Carteret High
How many students attend West Carteret High?
West Carteret High has 1,095 students enrolled. It is a high school in Morehead City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Carteret High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Carteret High is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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 West Carteret High?
38.1% of students at West Carteret High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Carteret High?
The largest demographic group at West Carteret High is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Morehead City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Carteret High?
West Carteret High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 West Carteret High rank among public schools in Morehead City?
By Resource Investment Index, West Carteret High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Morehead City, 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 Morehead City on the city page.
Is West Carteret High a good school?
West Carteret High earns 39/100 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 West Carteret High, Carteret County Public Schools also operates Croatan High (1,019 students), White Oak Elementary (784 students), and Broad Creek Middle (722 students). See the Carteret County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.