Craven Early College High

Set in New Bern, North Carolina, Craven Early College High is a micro-enrollment senior high, run under Craven County Board of Education. It instructs 221 students across grades 9 through 13. Compared to the state average of about 761 students per school, that is 71% below typical.

Across the 26 schools in Craven County Board of Education (12,152 students total), Craven Early College High accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Craven Early College High lists that the largest single group is White, at 57% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 15% Hispanic, 13% Black, 9% Asian, 6% multiracial. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 66%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 34.4:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 19.6:1 average. About 34% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is south of Craven County's rate of about 74%.

After controlling for student poverty, Craven Early College High is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 68.5%; this one delivers 88.1%, a residual of +19.6 points.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Craven County indicate median household income runs about $65,873, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. In all, Craven County runs 27 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,526 students), of which Craven Early College High is one.

The closest other public school is H J MacDonald Middle, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Craven Early College High. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Craven Early College High ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 54.1%.

Craven Early College High operates from a small-town location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 5%: 211 students in 2018 compared to 221 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment contracted from 19% to 13% over that span. Class-load math has widened: from 26.0:1 in 2018 to 34.4:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.