Total enrollment
18,481
-1,062 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
Wayne County
North Carolina · Public K-12
Wayne County is one of North Carolina's public-school counties, with 36 campuses serving about 18,481 students (15 elementary, 9 middle, and 11 high). Median household income in the county is roughly $59,733.
7-year change in Wayne County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
36
+2 (+6%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
29%
was 37%
% Hispanic
29%
was 22%
% Black
35%
was 36%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
36
4 districts
Enrollment
18,481
NCES CCD
Median income
$59,733
Below North Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
98.1%
Above North Carolina avg
Elementary
15
7,958 students
Middle
9
4,102 students
High
11
5,656 students
Combined / other
1
765 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Wayne County Public Schools
17,150 students · 4 districts in Wayne County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Wayne 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+
21.7%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
12.2%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.2%
civilian labor
Median age
37
23.6% under 18
Test scores in Wayne County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 30 schools ranked. North Carolina state average: 51.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Wayne Early / Middle College High· 94.7%
- Wayne School of Engineering· 90.7%
- Wayne School of Technical Arts· 88.5%
- Spring Creek High· 63.6%
- Grantham Elementary· 61.2%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Carver Heights Elementary· 23.4%
- Dillard Middle· 26.3%
- Goldsboro High· 29.6%
- Mount Olive Middle· 32.6%
- Brogden Middle· 33.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles B Aycock High | Pikeville | High | 09-12 | 1,138 | · |
| Southern Wayne High | Dudley | High | 09-12 | 1,007 | · |
| Norwayne Middle | Fremont | Middle | 06-08 | 848 | · |
| Spring Creek Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-04 | 804 | · |
| Eastern Wayne High | Goldsboro | High | 09-12 | 781 | · |
| Wayne Preparatory Academy | Goldsboro | Combined | KG-12 | 765 | · |
| Spring Creek High | Seven Springs | High | 09-12 | 732 | · |
| Brogden Primary | Dudley | Elementary | PK-04 | 689 | · |
| Meadow Lane Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-04 | 674 | · |
| Rosewood Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 650 | · |
| Brogden Middle | Dudley | Middle | 05-08 | 603 | · |
| Eastern Wayne Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 597 | · |
| Spring Creek Middle | Seven Springs | Middle | 05-08 | 571 | · |
| Northwest Elementary | Pikeville | Elementary | KG-05 | 559 | · |
| Tommy's Road Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-05 | 545 | · |
| Fremont STARS Elementary | Fremont | Elementary | PK-05 | 535 | · |
| North Drive Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | PK-02 | 498 | · |
| Northeast Elementary | Pikeville | Elementary | PK-05 | 497 | · |
| Carver Elementary | Mount Olive | Elementary | PK-04 | 495 | · |
| Wayne School of Engineering | Goldsboro | High | 06-13 | 486 | · |
| Rosewood High | Goldsboro | High | 09-12 | 460 | · |
| Grantham Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | KG-04 | 442 | · |
| Eastern Wayne Middle | Goldsboro | Middle | 06-08 | 427 | · |
| Goldsboro High | Goldsboro | High | 09-12 | 412 | · |
| Carver Heights Elementary | Goldsboro | Elementary | 03-05 | 407 | · |
| Greenwood Middle | Goldsboro | Middle | 05-08 | 402 | · |
| Mount Olive Middle | Mount Olive | Middle | 05-08 | 329 | · |
| Dillard Middle | Goldsboro | Middle | 06-08 | 319 | · |
| Wayne STEM Academy | Goldsboro | Elementary | KG-04 | 305 | · |
| Rosewood Middle | Goldsboro | Middle | 06-08 | 302 | · |
| Grantham Middle | Goldsboro | Middle | 05-08 | 301 | · |
| Wayne School of Technical Arts | Goldsboro | High | 06-12 | 271 | · |
| Dillard Academy | Goldsboro | Elementary | KG-08 | 261 | · |
| Wayne Early / Middle College High | Goldsboro | High | 09-13 | 239 | · |
| Wayne Middle / High Academy | Goldsboro | High | 06-12 | 92 | · |
| Edgewood Cmty Developmental | Goldsboro | High | 09-12 | 38 | · |
Cities in Wayne County
About Wayne County
Wayne County is a moderately sized North Carolina county of about 118,652 residents, home to 36 public schools and roughly 18,481 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show the median household earns about $59,733 a year, about 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 12%. That income level is 5% lower than the North Carolina median.
For a sense of the school types, Wayne County is built around 15 elementary schools (7,958 students), 9 middle schools (4,102), 11 high schools (5,656), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Wayne County is Wayne County Public Schools, which alone enrolls about 17,150 students.
Trend over the past 7 years. Total public-school enrollment in Wayne County has declined 5% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 19,543 students to 18,481. Wayne County now counts 36 public schools, up from 34 in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 37% to 29% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Wayne County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Wayne County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data