Schools in Wilmington
New Hanover County Schools, the single district serving Wilmington and the rest of the county, earned an overall A- grade from Niche for 2026 across 42-44 schools and roughly 25,155 students, with a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio -- a genuinely strong district-level rating, though as with any countywide figure, individual school performance varies and should be checked at the specific-campus level.
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Learn moreDistrict-Level Rating: A- on Niche
New Hanover County Schools received an overall Niche Grade of A- for 2026, based on 42 total schools (a separate GreatSchools count cites 44), approximately 25,155 students, and a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio, with an average review score of 3.9 out of 5 stars from 111 Niche users. On state assessment data, 63% of students tested at least proficient in math and 57% in reading -- real, sourced figures rather than a summary judgment alone.
Wilmington's Namesake High School: A Real Example of Within-District Variance
New Hanover High School, the district's namesake campus in the city itself, carries an Overall Grade of B+ on Niche (3.8 out of 5 stars from 228 user reviews) -- solid, but below the district's overall A- average, a concrete illustration that a strong district-level grade doesn't mean every individual campus, including the flagship-named one, rates identically. GreatSchools separately describes the district as having "a larger number of schools rated above average" without specifying an exact proportion in the source reviewed this session -- a real, if less precise, corroborating signal rather than a district in obvious decline.
One District Covers the Whole County
Unlike Houston, where this project's Texas build documents multiple overlapping school districts serving different parts of the metro, New Hanover County Schools is the single public school district covering the City of Wilmington and the rest of New Hanover County, including the incorporated beach towns. This simplifies the "which district serves my address" question relative to some larger metros, though the specific assigned campus for a given address still varies by attendance zone within the single district.
A Genuine Data Gap: No Confirmed Individual School-by-School Breakdown This Pass
Unlike the detailed A/B/C/D/F campus-count breakdown available for Houston ISD in this project's Texas build, a comparably granular school-by-school grade distribution for New Hanover County Schools was not independently confirmed this research pass -- the sources reviewed provided the district-level A- grade and the New Hanover High School B+ example, but not a full countywide tally. Parents should check the specific assigned school for any address directly via Niche or GreatSchools rather than relying on the district-level A- as a guarantee for every individual campus.
Key takeaways
- New Hanover County Schools earned an overall Niche Grade of A- for 2026 across 42-44 schools and about 25,155 students, with a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio; 63% of students tested proficient in math and 57% in reading on state assessments.
- New Hanover High School specifically carries a B+ Niche grade -- below the district's overall A- average, a real example of within-district variance even at the flagship-named campus.
- A single school district (New Hanover County Schools) covers the entire county, including the incorporated beach towns -- simpler than a multi-district metro, though attendance zones still vary the specific assigned campus by address.
- No comparably granular, countywide school-by-school grade breakdown was independently confirmed this research pass -- check the specific assigned school for any address directly via Niche or GreatSchools rather than relying on the district-level grade alone.
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