Public schools in North Carolina
2,705 public schools and 335 school districts in North Carolina: students, class sizes, charter schools and spending per student, by district.
2,705 public schools and 335 school districts in North Carolina: students, class sizes, charter schools and spending per student, by district.
North Carolina has 2,705 public schools with 1,550,037 students and 16.1 students per teacher (US: 15.2).
9.9% of students attend one of its 213 charter schools.
Students proficient across North Carolina (grades 3–8, 2024–25 school year).
Each state sets its own test and its own bar for “proficient”, so results compare only within a state. Results also follow family income closely: a school's share reflects its students' circumstances as much as its teaching.
Data sourced from the Education Data Center (www.eddatacenter.org), a partner project of the National Center for Civic Innovation, Inc. State Assessment Data Repository version 3.1. More information about these assessments over time, including participation and test changes, is available from the Education Data Center.
Districts with schools here, by students here.
| District | Schools | Students | Spending / student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County Schools | 198 | 163,176 | $12,279 |
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools | 186 | 145,014 | $13,066 |
| Guilford County Schools | 120 | 67,620 | $14,307 |
| Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools | 81 | 51,745 | $13,479 |
| Cumberland County Schools | 86 | 49,002 | $12,146 |
| Union County Public Schools | 52 | 41,272 | $11,339 |
| Johnston County Public Schools | 48 | 37,320 | $12,421 |
| Cabarrus County Schools |
| School | Grades | Students | Students / teacher | Reading | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NC Virtual AcademyCharterFully virtual | K–12 | 3,482 | 18.7 | 50% | 37% |
| 9–12 | 3,225 | 20.9 | — | — | |
Sources
| 43 |
| 35,264 |
| $11,027 |
| Durham Public Schools | 57 | 31,797 | $15,851 |
| Gaston County Schools | 56 | 30,995 | $11,848 |
| Onslow County Schools | 39 | 27,397 | $12,030 |
| New Hanover County Schools | 42 | 24,791 | $14,045 |
| 9–12 |
| 3,036 |
| 20.8 |
| — | — |
| 9–12 | 2,748 | 21.1 | — | — |
| 9–12 | 2,643 | 17.7 | — | — |
Wake Preparatory AcademyCharter | K–12 | 2,617 | 21.5 | 58% | 61% |
| 9–12 | 2,609 | 20.4 | — | — |
Pine Springs Preparatory Remote AcademyCharterFully virtual | K–11 | 2,552 | — | 39% | 15% |
| 9–12 | 2,534 | 17.8 | — | — |
| 9–12 | 2,518 | 21.1 | — | — |
Reading and Math: share of tested students proficient or above on the state's own tests (grades 3–8, 2024–25 school year). Compare only within a state.
Data sourced from the Education Data Center (www.eddatacenter.org), a partner project of the National Center for Civic Innovation, Inc. State Assessment Data Repository version 3.1. More information about these assessments over time, including participation and test changes, is available from the Education Data Center.