Enrollment
265
High
DISTRICT 523 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WILKES COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370495003125
Wilkes Early College High School
1328 S Collegiate Dr, Wilkesboro, NC 28697 · (336) 838-6247 · Wilkes County
GRADES 09–13HIGH32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL265 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 87% of North Carolina public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats 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
29.4:1
9 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.9:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
262 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 82%
Community
0
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 9 | 60 | 23% |
| Grade 10 | 59 | 22% |
| Grade 11 | 58 | 22% |
| Grade 12 | 58 | 22% |
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 46% · 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
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)Math
57.6%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 58 of every 100 students at this school do math at grade level. The North Carolina average is about 52 of 100.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of NC schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
73.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.6%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+24.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 73% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 25 points, placing it in North Carolina's top 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 Wilkes Early College High School
Wilkes Early College High School's state test result (73.5% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Early College High School this school | 265 | 98.9% | 73.5% |
| McDowell Early College Marion | 241 | 98.8% | 80.8% |
| Andrews High Andrews | 229 | 97.8% | 39.5% |
| Stanly Early College High Albemarle | 188 | 98.4% | 87.2% |
| Madison Early College High Marshall | 270 | 98.9% | 76.7% |
| Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve Trinity | 409 | 99.3% | 39.7% |
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 Wilkes Early College High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 73.5% | #79 of 468 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 57.6% | #98 of 464 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 265 | #431 of 598 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 29.4:1 | #448 of 473 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.0% | #425 of 474 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 98.9% | #213 of 527 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +14.2% | #50 of 164 |
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
265
+10 (+4%) vs 2020
+126% since 2010-11, when it was 117
Student : Teacher
29.4:1
was 28.3:1
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 | 265 | 9 | 29.4:1 | 99% (262) |
| 2023-24 | 254 | 9 | 28.2:1 | 99% (251) |
| 2022-23 | 257 | 9 | 28.6:1 | 32% (82) |
| 2020-21 | 255 | 9 | 28.3:1 | 16% (41) |
| 2017-18 | 232 | 8 | 29.0:1 | 37% (86) |
| 2015-16 | 218 | 9 | 24.2:1 | 99% (215) |
| 2010-11 | 117 | 5 | 23.4:1 | 62% (72) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Wilkes Early College High School.
Since 2017-18: students up 14% (232 to 265); teachers up 13% (8 to 9).
About Wilkes Early College High School
Wilkes Early College High School is a small high school in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, (ZIP code 28697). The school's 265 students are in grades 9 through 13. Enrollment is 65% lower than the average for high schools in North Carolina, which is about 761.
Wilkes Early College High School is run by Wilkes County Schools, whose 22 schools enroll 8,547 students.
At Wilkes Early College High School, White students make up 77% of the student body. It is also 14% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 3% Asian, and 2% Black. For comparison, the population of Wilkes County is roughly 87% White. Pick two students at random and there is a 38% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Federal staffing data show 9 full-time-equivalent teachers at Wilkes Early College High School and a ratio of 29.4:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 19.6:1 average for high schools in North Carolina. The count of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch equals 99% of enrollment. That tracks the 99% average for public schools in Wilkes County.
Measured against North Carolina public high schools, Wilkes Early College High School receives an A. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Wilkes Early College High School scores 24.8 points above its predicted average proficiency rate on state tests: 73.5% actual versus 48.6% predicted. That puts it in the top 10% of North Carolina schools on BeatsExpectations.
Wilkes County has about 65,935 residents, and the median household income is $51,721, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 17% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 13%. In all, Wilkes County has 22 public schools and roughly 8,547 students.
The school nearest to Wilkes Early College High School is Wilkesboro Elementary School, at a distance of about 0.5 miles. A five-mile radius around the school includes 7 other public schools. Among the 9 closest schools with test data, this one included, Wilkes Early College High School ranks 2nd on average proficiency.
NCES describes the area around Wilkes Early College High School as Town: Distant, meaning in a town some distance from an urbanized area.
Wilkes Early College High School's enrollment grew from 255 in 2020-21 to 265 in 2024-25. There were more students per teacher in 2024-25 (29.4:1) than in 2020-21 (28.3:1).
To ask about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs, start a discussion on this page. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Wilkes County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
65,935
Census ACS
Median income
$51,721
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
17%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
13%
Below federal line
Schools in county
22
8,547 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Wilkes County Schools
- Wilkes Central High SchoolHigh · 719 students
- Millers Creek Elementary SchoolElementary · 699 students
- West Wilkes High SchoolHigh · 582 students
- North Wilkes High SchoolHigh · 578 students
- Central Wilkes Middle SchoolMiddle · 564 students
- Mountain View Elementary SchoolElementary · 488 students
Other schools in Wilkesboro
- Wilkes Central High SchoolHigh · 719 students
- West Wilkes Middle SchoolMiddle · 450 students
- Wilkesboro Elementary SchoolElementary · 405 students
Nearby schools
- Wilkesboro Elementary School0.5 mi · 405
- Wilkes Central High School1.8 mi · 719
- Moravian Falls Elementary School2.7 mi · 257
- Central Wilkes Middle School2.9 mi · 564
- North Wilkesboro Elementary School3.9 mi · 329
- West Wilkes Middle School3.9 mi · 450
Frequently asked questions
About Wilkes Early College High SchoolHow many students attend Wilkes Early College High School?
Wilkes Early College High School enrolls approximately 265 students in grades 09-13.
Is Wilkes Early College High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Wilkes Early College High School is a high school covering grades 09-13.
How many teachers does Wilkes Early College High School have?
Wilkes Early College High School employs 9 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 29.4:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Wilkes Early College High School?
At Wilkes Early College High School, the student body is approximately 77% White, 14% Hispanic, 2% Black, 3% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is Wilkes Early College High School public or private?
Wilkes Early College High School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Wilkes County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.