Enrollment
270
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Castle Hayne, NC
Wilmington Early College High
Federal NCES profile for Wilmington Early College High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370333002915
👥 S:T ratio 10
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilmington Early College High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Castle Hayne · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 98.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilmington Early College High has class sizes larger than 94% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilmington Early College High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Castle Hayne, NC.
School address
District: New Hanover County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370333002915 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilmington Early College High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilmington Early College High
Wilmington Early College High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Castle Hayne, North Carolina, enrolling 270 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.5:1 is larger than about 94% of North Carolina schools and 42% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 270 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 284 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 63/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Castle Hayne's high schools, it stands alongside Sea-Tech (227 students): Wilmington Early College High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.5:1 vs 17.5:1).
New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students) and John T Hoggard High (2,082 students) alongside Wilmington Early College 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 Wilmington Early College High compares
Wilmington Early College 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 42% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.0% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 94% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,724
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 54.1%
African American 21.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 3.0%
Largest group: White at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Wilmington Early College High is more 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 New Hanover County Schools, which includes Wilmington Early College High.
$13,724
Per student
+14%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 51.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Wilmington Early College High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emsley a Laney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John T Hoggard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eugene Ashley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| New Hanover High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles P Murray Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilmington Early College High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,243
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,082
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,893
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,437
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 907
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Castle Hayne
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 (~270 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilmington Early College High's federal record.
- Compare Wilmington Early College High against another school. Compare schools
- New Hanover 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 Wilmington Early College High
How many students attend Wilmington Early College High?
Wilmington Early College High has 270 students enrolled. It is a high school in Castle Hayne, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilmington Early College High?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilmington Early College High is 22.5:1, which is 42% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilmington Early College High?
98.0% of students at Wilmington Early College High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilmington Early College High?
The largest demographic group at Wilmington Early College High is White at 54.1% of enrollment, in Castle Hayne, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilmington Early College High?
Wilmington Early College High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Wilmington Early College High rank among public schools in Castle Hayne?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilmington Early College High ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Castle Hayne, 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 Castle Hayne on the city page.
Is Wilmington Early College High a good school?
Wilmington Early College High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 New Hanover County Schools?
Besides Wilmington Early College High, New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students), John T Hoggard High (2,082 students), and Eugene Ashley High (1,893 students). See the New Hanover 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.