Enrollment
265
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wilkesboro, NC
Wilkes Early College High School
Federal NCES profile for Wilkes Early College High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370495003125
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilkes Early College High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Wilkesboro · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilkes Early College High School has class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilkes Early College High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Wilkesboro, NC.
School address
District: Wilkes County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370495003125 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+86% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilkes Early College High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilkes Early College High School
Wilkes Early College High School is a mid-sized high school in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, enrolling 265 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29.4:1 is larger than about 98% of North Carolina schools and 86% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 28.0% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 265 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 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #48.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 38/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 265 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wilkesboro's high schools, it stands alongside Wilkes Central High School (719 students): Wilkes Early College High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29.4:1 vs 14.7:1).
Wilkes County Schools also operates Wilkes Central High School (719 students) and Millers Creek Elementary School (699 students) alongside Wilkes 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 Wilkes Early College High School compares
Wilkes 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 | 29.4:1 | ▲ 86% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 58% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 265 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29.4:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
265
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
29.4:1
students per teacher
- 86% above state mean
Top 98% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,156
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 265 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: 0.8 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 77.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 2.6%
African American 2.3%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.9, Wilkes Early College High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilkes County Schools, which includes Wilkes Early College High School.
$12,156
Per student
+1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.8%
State 59.5%
Federal 19.7%
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 Wilkes Early College High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Millers Creek Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Wilkes High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Wilkes High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Wilkes Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilkes Early College High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high schools in Wilkesboro
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 (~265 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~29.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilkes Early College High School's federal record.
- Compare Wilkes Early College High School against another school. Compare schools
- Wilkes 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 Wilkes Early College High School
How many students attend Wilkes Early College High School?
Wilkes Early College High School has 265 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wilkesboro, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilkes Early College High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilkes Early College High School is 29.4:1, which is 86% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 87% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilkes Early College High School?
28.0% of students at Wilkes 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 Wilkes Early College High School?
The largest demographic group at Wilkes Early College High School is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Wilkesboro, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilkes Early College High School?
Wilkes Early College High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wilkes Early College High School rank among public schools in Wilkesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilkes Early College High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Wilkesboro, 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 Wilkesboro on the city page.
Is Wilkes Early College High School a good school?
Wilkes Early College High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Wilkes County Schools?
Besides Wilkes Early College High School, Wilkes County Schools also operates Wilkes Central High School (719 students), Millers Creek Elementary School (699 students), and West Wilkes High School (582 students). See the Wilkes 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.