Public schools in Wilmington, NC

44 open public schools with an address in Wilmington, operated by 9 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

24,968

44 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

14.2:1

North Carolina median 15.4:1

Charter schools

3 magnet · 0 virtual

An overview of Wilmington public schools

The federal directory lists 44 public schools in Wilmington, NC: 29 elementary, 6 middle, 8 high, 1 combined or other. The 44 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 24,968 students, an average of 567 per school. The largest campus is Emsley A Laney High (2,243 students), and the largest elementary school is Porters Neck Elementary (666).

New Hanover County Schools operates the most schools here (36), and 2 regular districts have at least one Wilmington campus, plus 7 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.

Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.2:1, lower than the statewide school median of 15.4:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.

School choice options include 7 charter schools, 3 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 7 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 6 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des New Hanover County Schools · Magnet	KG–05	342	12.7:1
Bradley Creek Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	344	12.2:1
Cape Fear Center for Inquiry Cape Fear Center for Inquiry · Charter	KG–08	395	13.2:1
Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington · Charter	KG–05	140	23.3:1
College Park Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	470	13.3:1
D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy	KG–08	162	—
Dr Hubert Eaton Sr Elem New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	461	14.2:1
Dr John Codington Elem New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	470	15:1
Edwin A Alderman Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	255	11.5:1
Edwin A Anderson Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	514	13.2:1
Forest Hills Global Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	340	10.7:1
Heyward C Bellamy Elem New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	533	15.1:1
Holly Tree Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	383	13.6:1
Island Montessori Charter School Island Montessori Charter · Charter	KG–08	220	11.6:1
John J Blair Elementary New Hanover County Schools	PK–05	451	13.1:1
Lake Forest Academy New Hanover County Schools · Alternative School	KG–08	45	3.2:1
Mary C Williams Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	355	11.3:1
Masonboro Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	564	16:1
Murrayville Elementary New Hanover County Schools	PK–05	573	14.2:1
Ogden Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	619	15.9:1
Pine Valley Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	465	15.9:1
Porters Neck Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	666	16:1
R Freeman Sch of Engineering New Hanover County Schools · Magnet	KG–05	241	10.8:1
Sunset Park Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	450	13:1
The International School at Gregory New Hanover County Schools · Magnet	KG–08	514	13.8:1
Wilmington Preparatory Academy Wilmington Preparatory Academy · Charter	KG–08	91	7.7:1
Wilmington School of the Arts Wilmington School of the Arts · Charter	KG–07	297	14.7:1
Winter Park Model Elementary New Hanover County Schools	KG–05	311	12.3:1
Wrightsboro Elementary New Hanover County Schools	PK–05	502	14.9:1

Middle schools in Wilmington

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Charles P Murray Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	907	17.6:1
Emma B Trask Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	611	14.9:1
M C S Noble Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	690	17.3:1
Myrtle Grove Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	600	15:1
Roland-Grise Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	878	16.6:1
Williston Middle New Hanover County Schools	06–08	666	14.1:1

High schools in Wilmington

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Career Readiness Academy at Mosley PLC New Hanover County Schools · Alternative School	09–12	150	10.3:1
Emsley A Laney High New Hanover County Schools	09–12	2,243	20.2:1
Eugene Ashley High New Hanover County Schools	09–12	1,893	20:1
Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington · Charter	06–12	362	10.2:1
Isaac M Bear Early College High School New Hanover County Schools	09–12	260	24.8:1
J. C. Roe Academy New Hanover County Schools · Alternative School	06–12	14	1.2:1
John T Hoggard High New Hanover County Schools	09–12	2,082	19.6:1
New Hanover High New Hanover County Schools	09–12	1,437	15.7:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Wilmington

School	Grades	Students	Ratio	Compare
American Leadership Academy-Coastal American Leadership Academy-Coastal · Charter	KG–12	1,002	17.4:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White56.3%
Hispanic19.5%
Black16.4%
Asian1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
Multiracial5.6%

Enrollment-weighted across 44 Wilmington schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (24,968 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Wilmington

How many public schools are in Wilmington, NC?

The current NCES directory lists 44 open public schools with a location address in Wilmington: 29 elementary, 6 middle, 8 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 24,968 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Wilmington?

Schools with an address in Wilmington belong to 9 education agencies, led by New Hanover County Schools (36 schools), American Leadership Academy-Coastal (1 school), Cape Fear Center for Inquiry (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in Wilmington?

Emsley A Laney High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Wilmington, with 2,243 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Wilmington?

Yes. 7 of the 44 public schools in Wilmington are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including American Leadership Academy-Coastal, Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Wilmington schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Wilmington public schools is 14.2:1, lower than the North Carolina school median of 15.4:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in Wilmington guarantee a seat at a specific school?

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.

Nearby North Carolina cities

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All North Carolina cities