1
Enrollment
1,095
High
DISTRICT 662 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CARTERET COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 370063000259
West Carteret High
4700 Country Club Rd, Morehead City, NC 28557 · (252) 726-1176 · Carteret County
GRADES 08–12HIGH32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,095 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 76% of North Carolina public high schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public high schools
Student : Teacher
23.2:1
47 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.9:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
1,084 students
DISTRICT 85% · STATE 82%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 | 2 | 0% |
| Grade 9 | 321 | 29% |
| Grade 10 | 276 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 256 | 23% |
| Grade 12 | 240 | 22% |
Student demographics
48%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 40% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
61.1%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
45.6%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 61 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 46 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
57.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.6%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+8.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 57% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like West Carteret High
West Carteret High's state test result (57.4% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Carteret High this school | 1,095 | 99.0% | 57.4% |
| Reynolds High Asheville | 1,169 | 99.0% | 52.2% |
| McDowell High School Marion | 1,379 | 98.8% | 35.2% |
| West Stanly High Oakboro | 800 | 99.6% | 64.1% |
| Brevard High Brevard | 799 | 99.6% | 57.2% |
| East Rowan High Salisbury | 986 | 98.4% | 34.5% |
Matched among North Carolina high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West Carteret High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 57.4% | #139 of 468 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 45.6% | #158 of 464 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 61.1% | #184 of 448 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,095 | #161 of 598 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.2:1 | #388 of 473 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.7% | #371 of 474 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.0% | #197 of 527 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -13.2% | #95 of 277 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,095
+8 (+1%) vs 2020
-23% since 1990-91, when it was 1,426
Student : Teacher
23.2:1
was 15.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,095 | 47.2 | 23.2:1 | 99% (1,084) |
| 2023-24 | 1,097 | 69 | 15.9:1 | 47% (515) |
| 2022-23 | 1,146 | 71.8 | 16.0:1 | 40% (461) |
| 2020-21 | 1,087 | 72 | 15.1:1 | 35% (381) |
| 2017-18 | 1,262 | 77.5 | 16.3:1 | 36% (458) |
| 2015-16 | 1,258 | 81 | 15.5:1 | 40% (499) |
| 2010-11 | 1,196 | 84 | 14.2:1 | 34% (402) |
| 2000-01 | 1,173 | 93 | 12.6:1 | 18% (206) |
| 1990-91 | 1,426 | 84 | 17.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Carteret High.
Since 2017-18: students down 13% (1,262 to 1,095); teachers down 39% (77.5 to 47.2).
About West Carteret High
Federal records list West Carteret High as a high school in Morehead City, North Carolina. Its 1,095 students are spread across grades 8 through 12. The typical figure for high schools in North Carolina is about 761 students.
West Carteret High reports to Carteret County Public Schools, which has 17 schools and 7,847 students.
White students account for 70% of enrollment at West Carteret High. The remaining students are 14% Hispanic, 7% Black, and 7% multiracial. Census figures show Carteret County is about 86% White. The chance that two students picked at random at West Carteret High belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 48%.
Staffing totals 47.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 23.2:1. That ratio is over the 19.6:1 average for high schools in North Carolina. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at West Carteret High is 99%. The gap from the 76% average for public schools in Carteret County is 23 points.
The allk12 Grade for West Carteret High is A-. Compared with North Carolina public high schools, the school scored higher than 76% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
The BeatsExpectations prediction for West Carteret High is 48.6%, and its average proficiency rate on state tests is 57.4%.
Among Carteret County residents, median household income is about $72,322, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 35%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. West Carteret High is one of 19 public schools in Carteret County, which together enroll about 8,053 students.
The school nearest to West Carteret High is Bridges School, at a distance of about 0.2 miles. Within five miles of West Carteret High, there are 5 other public schools. Compared with its nearest neighbors, West Carteret High ranks 7th of 8 on average proficiency.
For locale, NCES codes West Carteret High as Town: Distant.
Enrollment has been fairly stable: 1,087 in 2020-21 and 1,095 in 2024-25. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio rose from 15.1:1 to 23.2:1.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at West Carteret High. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Carteret County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
69,148
Census ACS
Median income
$72,322
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
19
8,053 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Carteret County Public Schools
- Croatan HighHigh · 1,019 students
- White Oak ElementaryElementary · 784 students
- Broad Creek MiddleMiddle · 722 students
- Newport ElementaryElementary · 621 students
- East Carteret HighHigh · 521 students
- Morehead City MiddleMiddle · 506 students
Other schools in Morehead City
- Morehead City MiddleMiddle · 506 students
- Morehead City PrimaryElementary · 502 students
- Morehead Elem at Camp GlennElementary · 253 students
- Bridges SchoolHigh · 11 students
- Marine Sci. and Tech. Early College HSCombined
Nearby schools
- Bridges School0.2 mi · 11
- Morehead City Primary0.5 mi · 502
- Morehead Elem at Camp Glenn2.2 mi · 253
- Morehead City Middle2.6 mi · 506
- Newport Middle5.0 mi · 346
- Newport Elementary5.6 mi · 621
Frequently asked questions
About West Carteret HighHow large is West Carteret High?
West Carteret High enrolls approximately 1,095 students in grades 08-12.
What grades does West Carteret High serve?
West Carteret High serves grades 08-12.
How many students per teacher at West Carteret High?
Approximately 23.2:1 students per teacher at West Carteret High.
How diverse is West Carteret High?
West Carteret High reports a student body of 70% White, 14% Hispanic, 7% Black, 1% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Is West Carteret High public or private?
West Carteret High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Carteret County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.