Best Public Schools in Zip Code 28401

The 28401 zip code area of Wilmington, North Carolina is home to 9 schools, including 7 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. This diverse set of schools serves a student population facing significant economic challenges, with most schools having extremely high free/reduced lunch rates indicating high levels of poverty in the area.

The top-performing schools in the area are Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, a public charter elementary/middle school, and The International School at Gregory, a public magnet elementary/middle school. These schools consistently rank in the top quarter of North Carolina elementary schools and have strong test scores across grade levels. In contrast, lower-performing schools like Wrightsboro Elementary, Sunset Park Elementary, and D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy struggle, suggesting potential inequities in resources and teaching quality across the district.

The lone high school in the area, New Hanover High, has mixed performance, with some strong subject-specific results but an overall low statewide ranking. The smallest schools, like Lake Forest Academy and Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington, also appear to struggle the most. Overall, the data highlights both areas of strength, such as the high-performing charter and magnet schools, as well as significant challenges facing the schools in the 28401 zip code area, particularly in addressing the high levels of economic disadvantage among the student populations.