Wilmington Early College High

Located at 4500 Blue Clay Rd, in Castle Hayne, North Carolina, Wilmington Early College High is a minimally staffed secondary school that instructs 270 students (grades 9 through 13), run under New Hanover County Schools. Enrollment runs roughly 65% leaner than the state mean of about 761.

New Hanover County Schools comprises 42 schools with combined enrollment of 24,791 students; Wilmington Early College High is among them.

On the student-mix side, Wilmington Early College High reports that 54% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school lists 21% Black, 18% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 3% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 77% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 20.7:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 19.6:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 99% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against New Hanover County (around 67%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Wilmington 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 48.6%; this one delivers 72.8%, a residual of +24.2 points.

In the area at large, New Hanover County reports that median household earnings sit near $75,166, roughly 45% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Wilmington Early College High is one of 50 public schools in New Hanover County (combined enrollment of about 27,460 students).

SEA-Tech is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.9 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Wilmington Early College High ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 61.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a bedroom-community area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Wilmington Early College High has grew 11%, going from 244 students in 2018 to 270 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment rose from 11% to 18% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 24.1:1 in 2018 to 20.7:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.