Is Isaac M Bear Early College High School a good school?

Yes. Isaac M Bear Early College High School ranks in the top 9.8% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Isaac M Bear Early College High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 251 students attended Isaac M Bear Early College High School.

What is the racial makeup of Isaac M Bear Early College High School?

Students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School are 61% White, 19% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American.

Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Summary:

Isaac M Bear Early College High School is a public high school in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 226. The school is part of the New Hanover County Schools district, which is ranked 70 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Isaac M Bear Early College High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in North Carolina, with a statewide ranking between 4th and 63rd out of over 600 high schools in the state over the past decade. The school's students significantly outperform the district and state averages on End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with 92.5% of students proficient or better in English II, compared to 67.4% for the district and 59.7% for the state. The school's diverse student population includes significant percentages of Hispanic (around 15-17%) and Asian (around 7-9%) students, and it has consistently ranked among the top schools in the state for the performance of specific student subgroups, such as male students, African American students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other high schools in the area, such as Eugene Ashley High, SEA-Technical, and North Brunswick High, Isaac M Bear Early College High School stands out as a top-performing institution, with significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings. The school's small size, focus on early college programming, and relatively low free and reduced-price lunch rates may be contributing factors to its exceptional academic performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

630 MacMillan Avenue
Wilmington, NC 28403

(910) 350-1387

District: New Hanover County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
63^rd of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,555

Student/teacher ratio: 25.5

Number of students: 251

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.6%

Hispanic:

18.7%

Asian:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 21.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Isaac M Bear Early College High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Isaac M Bear Early College High School ranks better than 90.2% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 9 ranked high schools in the New Hanover County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.28. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.6%), Hispanic (18.7%), Asian (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 21.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the New Hanover County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Isaac M Bear Early College High School is 25.5, which is the highest among 9 high schools in the New Hanover County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Isaac M Bear Early College High School employs 9.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Isaac M Bear Early College High School is $9,555. 4 high schools in the New Hanover County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Isaac M Bear Early College High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Isaac M Bear Early College High School 63^rd of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Isaac M Bear Early College High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New Hanover County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks New Hanover County Schools 70^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

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Rank History for all students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2007	87.63	8^th	453	98.2%
2008	78.49	28^th	477	94.1%
2009	86.86	6^th	490	98.8%
2010	83.22	3^rd	499	99.4%
2011	83.69	5^th	506	99.0%
2012	79.72	4^th	502	99.2%
2013	87.78	9^th	505	98.2%
2015	91.60	6^th	531	98.9%
2016	90.24	7^th	507	98.6%
2019	96.30	7^th	514	98.6%
2021	95.19	30^th	594	94.9%
2022	94.06	35^th	621	94.4%
2023	95.15	23^rd	626	96.3%
2024	91.28	63^rd	640	90.2%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	97.65	6^th	446	98.7%
2021	97.30	9^th	432	97.9%
2023	96.14	37^th	597	93.8%
2024	90.94	82^nd	613	86.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	95.32	8^th	475	98.3%
2021	93.20	15^th	475	96.8%
2022	89.15	68^th	594	88.6%
2023	94.02	29^th	588	95.1%
2024	88.33	74^th	602	87.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	76.13	45^th	325	86.2%
2021	84.00	8^th	337	97.6%
2022	83.30	6^th	398	98.5%
2024	72.17	97^th	403	75.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	97.32	5^th	488	99.0%
2021	97.16	6^th	481	98.8%
2022	97.11	11^th	585	98.1%
2024	93.19	58^th	607	90.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	96.42	8^th	369	97.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	93.67	11^th	370	97.0%
2022	94.54	33^rd	436	92.4%
2024	90.92	55^th	454	87.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2019	95.84	3^rd	444	99.3%
2021	95.42	7^th	439	98.4%
2022	93.54	29^th	534	94.6%
2023	93.08	32^nd	537	94.0%
2024	88.94	67^th	553	87.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	62	24	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	4	96
2008	114	44	6	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	4	170
2009	136	50	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	198
2010	174	53	11	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	245
2011	155	39	8	17	1	1	7	0	228
2012	150	29	9	25	1	1	5	0	220
2013	160	29	9	33	1	1	3	0	236
2014	154	29	9	37	0	1	3	0	233
2015	151	27	10	40	0	0	3	0	231
2016	145	29	9	38	0	0	4	0	225
2017	163	24	10	29	0	0	3	0	229
2018	157	23	13	25	0	1	8	0	227
2019	153	27	17	27	0	1	8	0	233
2020	157	24	21	27	0	1	7	0	237
2021	146	24	22	33	1	1	8	0	235
2022	147	20	18	36	0	0	9	0	230
2023	142	16	19	39	1	1	8	0	226
2024	152	12	23	47	1	1	15	0	251

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	96	5.0	19.2	30.4
2008	170	10.1	16.8	35.5
2009	198	11.0	18.0	25.3
2010	245	9.8	24.9	19.6
2011	228	9.7	23.3	29.4
2012	220	9.5	23.1	33.6
2013	236	10.0	23.6	37.7
2014	233	11.0	21.1	46.8
2015	231	10.0	23.1	40.3
2016	225	10.0	22.5	40.4
2017	229	10.0	22.9	34.5
2018	227	10.0	22.7	28.2
2019	233	10.4	22.2	35.2
2020	237	10.3	22.8	20.7
2021	235	10.3	22.6	17.4
2022	230	10.4	22.0	10
2023	226	10.9	20.6	17.3
2024	251	9.8	25.5	21.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	96	5.0	19.2	30.4
2008	170	10.1	16.8	35.5
2009	198	11.0	18.0	25.3
2010	245	9.8	24.9	19.6
2011	228	9.7	23.3	29.4
2012	220	9.5	23.1	33.6
2013	236	10.0	23.6	37.7
2014	233	11.0	21.1	46.8
2015	231	10.0	23.1	40.3
2016	225	10.0	22.5	40.4
2017	229	10.0	22.9	34.5
2018	227	10.0	22.7	28.2
2019	233	10.4	22.2	35.2
2020	237	10.3	22.8	20.7
2021	235	10.3	22.6	17.4
2022	230	10.4	22.0	10
2023	226	10.9	20.6	17.3
2024	251	9.8	25.5	21.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$284 (3.0%)	$9,271 (97.0%)	$9,555

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Isaac M Bear Early College High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 7^th of 514 High schools	Ranks 23^rd of 626 High schools	2.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Isaac M Bear Early College High School)	97.7	93.3	4.4%
End of Course Biology (New Hanover County Schools)	67	54.8	12.2%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Isaac M Bear Early College High School)	97.1	98.4	1.3%
End of Course English II (New Hanover County Schools)	64.7	63.8	0.9%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Isaac M Bear Early College High School)	87.5	87.5
End of Course Math I (New Hanover County Schools)	42.5	40.1	2.4%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Isaac M Bear Early College High School)	95.2	95.4	0.2%
End of Course Math III (New Hanover County Schools)	49.1	65.4	16.3%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	233	226	3%
African American	27	16	40.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	17	19	11.8%
Hispanic	27	39	44.4%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	153	142	7.2%
Two or More Races	8	8
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	35.2%	17.3%	17.9%

Schools Near Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)			EOG Reading (2024)			EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Isaac M Bear Early College High School	Public	9-12	630 MacMillan Avenue	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-1387	251	10	25.5	21.5%	152 (60.6%)	12 (4.8%)	47 (18.7%)	23 (9.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.0%)	91.3	63^rd of 640 public high schools	90.2%		95.1	23^rd of 626 public high schools	96.3%	40	85.7	92.5	70.8	91.4								$9,555	$284	$9,271
John T Hoggard High	Public	9-12	4305 Shipyard Blvd	Wilmington	28403	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2072	2,178	112	19.4	32.2%	1,446 (66.4%)	266 (12.2%)	313 (14.4%)	45 (2.1%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	105 (4.8%)	66.3	198^th of 640 public high schools	69.1%		65.9	190^th of 626 public high schools	69.6%	8	67.5	76.0	43.9	68.4								$8,673	$593	$8,080
Career Readiness Academy at Mosley PLC	Public	6-12	3702 Princess Place Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-6161	86	14	6.1	96.5%	26 (30.2%)	16 (18.6%)	38 (44.2%)	2 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	28.3	465^th of 640 public high schools	27.3%		25.8	472^nd of 626 public high schools	24.6%	7	38.5	38.5	26.9	61.5								$21,178	$2,660	$18,517
Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington	Public, Charter	6-12	4100 Sunglow Drive	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(910) 338-5258	344	33	10.4	98.0%	137 (39.8%)	94 (27.3%)	69 (20.1%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.0%)	46.4	321^st of 640 public high schools	49.8%		28.3	446^th of 626 public high schools	28.8%	125	55.8	69.6	27.3	45.8	50.0	46.4	45.5	55.2	50.0	53.0	72.7
New Hanover High	Public	9-12	1307 Market St	Wilmington	28401	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 251-6100	1,515	97	15.5	99.8%	599 (39.5%)	458 (30.2%)	375 (24.8%)	13 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (4.5%)	32	432^nd of 640 public high schools	32.5%		27.5	459^th of 626 public high schools	26.7%	27	50.4	47.0	21.6	55.1								$10,692	$741	$9,950
J. C. Roe Center	Public	6-12	2875 Worth Drive	Wilmington	28412	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 395-4472	12	13	.9	75.0%	1 (8.3%)	7 (58.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (25.0%)	1.3	638^th of 640 public high schools	0.3%		5	603^rd of 626 public high schools	3.7%	35		10.0		6.7			6.7			13.3	13.3	$34,575	$1,445	$33,130
Emsley A Laney High	Public	9-12	2700 N College Rd	Wilmington	28405	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 350-2089	2,248	112	20.0	99.7%	1,266 (56.3%)	413 (18.4%)	394 (17.5%)	36 (1.6%)	7 (0.3%)	3 (0.1%)	129 (5.7%)	47.4	315^th of 640 public high schools	50.8%		44.1	328^th of 626 public high schools	47.6%	13	66.6	64.4	26.9	53.9								$8,690	$533	$8,157
Wilmington Early College High	Public	9-12	4500 Blue Clay Rd	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 362-7789	254	11	23.0	98.8%	143 (56.3%)	47 (18.5%)	51 (20.1%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	88.3	95^th of 640 public high schools	85.2%		95.1	24^th of 626 public high schools	96.2%	71	70.5	96.4	84.4	87.5								$8,673	$273	$8,400
SEA-Technical	Public	9-12	5301 Sidbury Road	Castle Hayne	28429	New Hanover County	New Hanover County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 530-6300	265	16	16.6	98.9%	155 (58.5%)	42 (15.8%)	46 (17.4%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.7%)	87	104^th of 640 public high schools	83.8%		76.7	145^th of 626 public high schools	76.8%	41	90.6	83.0	77.8	77.8								$13,361	$253	$13,108
North Brunswick High	Public	9-12	114 Scorpion Drive	Leland	28451	Brunswick County	Brunswick County Schools	No	No	No	No	(910) 371-2261	1,560	86	18.1	99.8%	801 (51.3%)	301 (19.3%)	325 (20.8%)	6 (0.4%)	12 (0.8%)	4 (0.3%)	111 (7.1%)	45.1	332^nd of 640 public high schools	48.1%		38.7	363^rd of 626 public high schools	42.0%	31	67.5	54.9	29.7	57.3								$10,133	$1,075	$9,059

Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Isaac M Bear Early College High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

New Hanover County Schools:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for all students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for Female students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for Male students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for African American students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rank History for White students at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Isaac M Bear Early College High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Isaac M Bear Early College High School

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