Total enrollment
8,053
-538 (-6%) vs SY 2017-18
Carteret County
North Carolina · Public K-12
On the public-school side, Carteret County (North Carolina) totals 19 K-12 campuses and roughly 8,053 students. Median household income is around $72,322. By level, that breaks down as 10 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools.
7-year change in Carteret County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
18
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
77%
was 77%
% Hispanic
11%
was 9%
% Black
4%
was 6%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
19
2 districts
Enrollment
8,053
NCES CCD
Median income
$72,322
Above North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
76.3%
Below North Carolina avg
Elementary
10
3,573 students
Middle
4
1,834 students
High
4
2,646 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Carteret County Public Schools
7,847 students · 2 districts in Carteret County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Carteret County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
34.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.0%
civilian labor
Median age
51
16.8% under 18
Test scores in Carteret County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 16 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Croatan High· 84.8%
- Harkers Island Elementary· 73.9%
- East Carteret High· 70.6%
- Broad Creek Middle· 70.3%
- White Oak Elementary· 69.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Morehead City Primary· 51.2%
- Newport Middle· 52.0%
- Newport Elementary· 54.0%
- Beaufort Elementary· 57.1%
- Beaufort Middle· 58.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Carteret High | Morehead City | High | 08-12 | 1,095 | · |
| Croatan High | Newport | High | 09-12 | 1,019 | · |
| White Oak Elementary | Cape Carteret | Elementary | PK-05 | 784 | · |
| Broad Creek Middle | Newport | Middle | 06-08 | 722 | · |
| Newport Elementary | Newport | Elementary | PK-05 | 621 | · |
| East Carteret High | Beaufort | High | 09-12 | 521 | · |
| Morehead City Middle | Morehead City | Middle | 06-08 | 506 | · |
| Morehead City Primary | Morehead City | Elementary | PK-03 | 502 | · |
| Bogue Sound Elementary | Newport | Elementary | PK-05 | 416 | · |
| Beaufort Elementary | Beaufort | Elementary | PK-05 | 346 | · |
| Newport Middle | Newport | Middle | 06-08 | 346 | · |
| Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary | Smyrna | Elementary | PK-08 | 262 | · |
| Beaufort Middle | Beaufort | Middle | 06-08 | 260 | · |
| Morehead Elem at Camp Glenn | Morehead City | Elementary | 04-05 | 253 | · |
| Tiller School | Beaufort | Elementary | KG-05 | 206 | · |
| Harkers Island Elementary | Harkers Island | Elementary | KG-05 | 95 | · |
| Atlantic Elementary | Atlantic | Elementary | PK-05 | 88 | · |
| Bridges School | Morehead City | High | 06-12 | 11 | · |
| Marine Sci. and Tech. Early College HS | Morehead City | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Carteret County
About Carteret County
In North Carolina, Carteret County is a mid-sized county of about 69,148 residents. 19 public schools across the county serves about 8,053 students between them.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $72,322, about 35% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 14% meaningfully above the North Carolina median.
In terms of grade levels, Carteret County is built around 10 elementary schools (3,573 students), 4 middle schools (1,834), 4 high schools (2,646), and 1 combined or other schools.
Carteret County Public Schools dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 7,847 students on its own.
Looking at the last 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 8,053 students, decreased 6% from the 8,591 reported in SY 2017-18.
On allk12, the community for Carteret County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Carteret County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data