Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
North Carolina Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for North Carolina — 1,550,037 students in 2,764 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 1,550,037 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 2,764 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 95,945 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 16.1 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 76.7% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 16.9% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 9.9% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 87.8% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 50.8% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 49.9% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 32.3% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 42.1% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 24.4% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 21.9% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 4.5% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
North Carolina state report card
Outcomes reported directly by North Carolina’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how North Carolina measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How North Carolina measures this5-Year (extended) Cohort Graduation Rate, statewide ('Assess-Ind Data Set' sheet, subject=CGRE, state row, subgroup ALL); covers the Class of 2024 cohort measured after 5 years ending 2024-25. | 88.4% | 2024–25 | |
College enrollment rate How North Carolina measures thisPercent of NC public high school graduates, Class of 2023, found enrolled in postsecondary education after graduation (SRC rcd_college table, NC-SEA row; National Student Clearinghouse-style match). Enrollment window not documented in the data dictionary; the class appears in the SRC published 1-2 report cycles later (Class of 2023 in the year-2024 SRC). | 59.4% | 2022–23 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How North Carolina measures thisEOG Mathematics grades 3-8 combined (incl. NCEXTEND1 alternate assessment), percent at Achievement Level 3 or above = Grade Level Proficient (GLP), statewide, All Students. NC's closest published all-grades math aggregate; high-school NC Math 1/Math 3 EOCs are reported separately, not included. NC also publishes a stricter CCR standard (Level 4+), not used here. Source: Disag_2024-25_Data.txt (inside disag zip), school_code=NC-SEA, grade=GS, type=ALL (all assessment types), pct_glp column. | 56.7% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How North Carolina measures thisEOG Reading grades 3-8 combined (incl. NCEXTEND1 alternate assessment), percent at Achievement Level 3 or above = Grade Level Proficient (GLP), statewide, All Students. NC's closest published all-grades ELA aggregate; high-school English II EOC is reported separately, not included. NC also publishes a stricter CCR standard (Level 4+), not used here. Source: Disag_2024-25_Data.txt (inside disag zip), school_code=NC-SEA, grade=GS, type=ALL (all assessment types), pct_glp column. | 52.5% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How North Carolina measures thisPercent of students chronically absent (missed >=10% of days enrolled, standard federal definition), all grades statewide (SRC rcd_chronic_absent, NC-SEA row, subgroup ALL). Numerator = chronically absent count, denominator = eligible enrollment. | 25.0% | 2023–24 |
Source: North CarolinaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
North Carolina schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
North Carolina schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in North Carolina?+
1,550,037 students were enrolled in North Carolina's 2,764 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 95,945 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of North Carolina students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
76.7% of North Carolina public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is North Carolina's high school graduation rate?+
87.8% of North Carolina's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by North Carolina's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.