Can I use Brunswick County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Brunswick County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Brunswick County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Brunswick County?

Start with the 22 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Brunswick County Schools & Education

Name: Brunswick County, North Carolina Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Brunswick County, North Carolina

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

26/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,769

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

26/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#88

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Brunswick County

Measured School Summary

Brunswick County faces educational challenges with a school score of 26/100 and a graduation rate of 84.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,769 per pupil, Brunswick County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 34% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Brunswick County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

22 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

26/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #88 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

84.0%

4.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,769

$200 below the state average

School coverage

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Brunswick County has 22 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Brunswick County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Brunswick County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 20 of 22 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#88

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 14 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Brunswick County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

12,944 students

Elementary 10Middle 5High 5Other 0

20 listed schools in this county slice.

Classical Charter Schools of Leland

Elementary school only in this slice

1,000 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Classical Charter Schools of Southport

Elementary school only in this slice

614 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Brunswick County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 20 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Brunswick County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Brunswick County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Brunswick County School Score Trails State and National Benchmarks

Education data brief for Brunswick County, North Carolina.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Brunswick County reports a composite school score of 26.2, which is notably lower than the North Carolina state average of 40.3 and the national median of 50.0. This score coincides with a graduation rate of 84.0 percent, falling below both the state rate of 88.0 percent and the national average of 87.0 percent. The county's largest district is Brunswick County Schools, which operates 20 schools and enrolls 12,944 of the county's 14,558 total students. Large secondary schools characterize the district, with West Brunswick High and North Brunswick High each enrolling over 1,400 students. The county's per-pupil spending of $6,769 is below the state average of $6,969 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. Seventeen of the county's 22 schools are located in rural locales. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Brunswick County

Reported Enrollment

14,558

22 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

9% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary12

Middle5

High5

Other0

3 School Districts in Brunswick County

Brunswick County Schools

Classical Charter Schools of Leland

1 school

1,000 students

Classical Charter Schools of Southport

1 school

614 students

22 Public Schools in Brunswick County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 4 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 22 matching schools

Public schools in Brunswick County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
West Brunswick High	Profile	Brunswick County Schools	Shallotte, 28470Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,526
North Brunswick High	Profile	Brunswick County Schools	Leland, 28451Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,450
South Brunswick High	Profile	Brunswick County Schools	Southport, 28461Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,172
Classical Charter Schools of Leland	Profile	Classical Charter Schools of Leland	Leland, 28451Rural: Fringe	KG–8	Charter	1,000
Leland Middle	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Leland, 28451Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	780
Belville Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Leland, 28451Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	726
Lincoln Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Leland, 28451Suburb: Midsize	KG–5	Primary	675
Shallotte Middle	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Shallotte, 28459Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	674
Town Creek Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Winnabow, 28479Rural: Fringe	KG–4	Primary	654
Classical Charter Schools of Southport	Record	Classical Charter Schools of Southport	Bolivia, 28422Rural: Distant	KG–7	Charter	614
South Brunswick Middle	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Southport, 28461Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	572
Union Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Shallotte, 28470Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	571
Supply Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Supply, 28462Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	539
Virginia Williamson Elem	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Bolivia, 28422Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	502
Town Creek Middle	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Winnabow, 28479Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	500
Bolivia Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Bolivia, 28422Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	496
Cedar Grove Middle	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Supply, 28462Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	434
Waccamaw	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Ash, 28420Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	430
Southport Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Southport, 28461Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	403
Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary	Record	Brunswick County Schools	Ash, 28420Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	394

West Brunswick High

Brunswick County Schools

Shallotte, 28470 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,526 students

North Brunswick High

Brunswick County Schools

Leland, 28451 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,450 students

South Brunswick High

Brunswick County Schools

Southport, 28461 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,172 students

Classical Charter Schools of Leland

Leland, 28451 / Rural: Fringe

ProfileKG–8Charter1,000 students

Leland Middle

Brunswick County Schools

Leland, 28451 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle780 students

Belville Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Leland, 28451 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary726 students

Lincoln Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Leland, 28451 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordKG–5Primary675 students

Shallotte Middle

Brunswick County Schools

Shallotte, 28459 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle674 students

Town Creek Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Winnabow, 28479 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–4Primary654 students

Classical Charter Schools of Southport

Bolivia, 28422 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–7Charter614 students

South Brunswick Middle

Brunswick County Schools

Southport, 28461 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle572 students

Union Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Shallotte, 28470 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary571 students

Supply Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Supply, 28462 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary539 students

Virginia Williamson Elem

Brunswick County Schools

Bolivia, 28422 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary502 students

Town Creek Middle

Brunswick County Schools

Winnabow, 28479 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle500 students

Bolivia Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Bolivia, 28422 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary496 students

Cedar Grove Middle

Brunswick County Schools

Supply, 28462 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle434 students

Waccamaw

Brunswick County Schools

Ash, 28420 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary430 students

Southport Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Southport, 28461 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary403 students

Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary

Brunswick County Schools

Ash, 28420 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary394 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,769

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Brunswick County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which North Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jones County (97.0%), Pamlico County (95.7%), and Currituck County (95.0%) currently lead North Carolina among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in North Carolina?

Across North Carolina counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,969. The highest current county values are Hyde County ($10,356), Tyrrell County ($9,655), and Orange County ($8,629). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Brunswick County?

Brunswick County has a school score of 26/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Brunswick County?

The high school graduation rate in Brunswick County is 84.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Brunswick County spend per student?

Brunswick County spends $6,769 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Davidson County

North Carolina

+1 pts

27/100

School score

Mecklenburg County

North Carolina

-1 pts

25/100

School score

Cumberland County

North Carolina

-1 pts

25/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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