Total enrollment
12,526
-238 (-2%) vs SY 2020-21
Craven County
North Carolina · Public K-12
North Carolina's Craven County runs 27 public K-12 schools between its districts, the largest being Craven County Board of Education at 12,152 students. By grade band, the county runs 16 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high schools.
4-year change in Craven County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
27
+2 (+8%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Craven County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In North Carolina | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.7% | #47 of 93 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 12,526 | #31 of 98 | #689 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 27 | #29 of 98 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.4:1 | #87 of 98 | #2,356 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 74.1% | #78 of 98 | #623 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 69.5% | #14 of 94 | #120 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Craven County school rankings
Residents
102,612
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
27
2 districts
Enrollment
12,526
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$65,873
Above North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
74.1%
Below North Carolina avg
Elementary
16
5,999 students
Middle
5
2,579 students
High
5
3,831 students
Combined / other
1
117 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Craven County Board of Education
12,152 students · 2 districts in Craven County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Craven 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+
27.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
10.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.2%
civilian labor
Median age
39
21.3% under 18
Test scores in Craven County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 25 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Craven Early College High· 93.9%
- W Jesse Gurganus Elementary· 75.1%
- Creekside Elementary· 72.3%
- Tucker Creek Middle· 66.2%
- Grover C Fields Middle· 62.1%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary· 33.9%
- Oaks Road Academy· 35.5%
- J.T. Barber Elementary· 35.8%
- Havelock Middle· 41.1%
- West Craven Middle· 41.2%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Bern High | New Bern | High | 09-12 | 1,637 | · |
| Havelock High | Havelock | High | 09-12 | 1,014 | · |
| West Craven High | Vanceboro | High | 09-12 | 751 | · |
| H J MacDonald Middle | New Bern | Middle | 06-08 | 632 | · |
| West Craven Middle | New Bern | Middle | 06-08 | 614 | · |
| Grover C Fields Middle | New Bern | Middle | 06-08 | 542 | · |
| Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary | Vanceboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 494 | · |
| Arthur W Edwards Elementary | Havelock | Elementary | KG-05 | 489 | · |
| Tucker Creek Middle | Havelock | Middle | 06-08 | 478 | · |
| Creekside Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | KG-05 | 453 | · |
| Albert H Bangert Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | KG-05 | 446 | · |
| Brinson Memorial Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | KG-05 | 446 | · |
| Bridgeton Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | PK-05 | 415 | · |
| Roger Bell New Tech Academy | Havelock | Elementary | PK-05 | 408 | · |
| Trent Park Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | KG-05 | 390 | · |
| Riverside Leadership Academy | New Bern | Elementary | KG-07 | 374 | · |
| Oaks Road Academy | New Bern | Elementary | PK-05 | 352 | · |
| W Jesse Gurganus Elementary | Havelock | Elementary | KG-05 | 340 | · |
| James W Smith Elementary | Cove City | Elementary | PK-05 | 325 | · |
| Havelock Middle | Havelock | Middle | 06-08 | 313 | · |
| Ben D. Quinn Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | KG-05 | 312 | · |
| J.T. Barber Elementary | New Bern | Elementary | PK-05 | 270 | · |
| Havelock Elementary | Havelock | Elementary | PK-05 | 248 | · |
| Graham A Barden Elementary | Havelock | Elementary | PK-05 | 237 | · |
| Craven Early College High | New Bern | High | 09-13 | 221 | · |
| Early College EAST High | Havelock | High | 09-13 | 208 | · |
| Craven Virtual Academy | New Bern | Combined | 04-12 | 117 | · |
Cities in Craven County
About Craven County
Across the mid-sized North Carolina county of Craven County of about 102,612 residents, the public-school footprint covers 27 schools and about 12,526 students.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $65,873, about 28% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 10%.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Craven County is built around 16 elementary schools (5,999 students), 5 middle schools (2,579), 5 high schools (3,831), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Craven County is Craven County Board of Education, which alone enrolls about 12,152 students.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Craven County has held roughly steady since SY 2020-21, moving from about 12,764 students to 12,526. Over that span, Craven County gained 2 schools, going from 25 to 27.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Craven County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data