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

No. Use the Craven 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 Craven 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 Craven County?

Start with the 26 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Craven County Schools & Education

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

Craven County, North Carolina

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

School Score

30/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.0%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,496

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,969

School Score

30/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#78

of 100 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Craven County

Measured School Summary

Craven County faces educational challenges with a school score of 30/100 and a graduation rate of 87.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,496 per pupil, Craven County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 26% below the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 7% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Craven 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

26 public schools and 1 district 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

30/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #78 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,496

$473 below the state average

School coverage

1 district 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

Craven County has 26 public schools across 1 district, 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 Craven 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

Craven County Schools carries most of the listed public-school system, with 26 of 26 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#78

of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 10 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.

Craven County Schools

Elementary to high school visible

12,755 students

Elementary 15Middle 5High 5Other 1

26 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Craven County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 26 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 Craven County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Craven County, North Carolina

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Coastal Network of Community Schools

Craven County operates 26 public schools that serve 12,755 students within a single unified district. The infrastructure includes 15 elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools. This centralized system provides consistent educational resources across the coastal region.

Unified Oversight via Craven County Schools

Craven County Schools manages all 12,755 students in the area across its 26 campuses. Unlike many neighboring counties, this region contains zero charter schools, keeping the entire student population within the traditional public system. This structure allows for a high degree of district-wide coordination.

From Busy City Hubs to Rural Classrooms

The county offers a diverse mix of environments, including nine rural schools, eight in towns, and seven in city settings. New Bern High is the largest campus with 1,631 students, while the average school size is a manageable 491 students. This variety ensures families can find a school setting that matches their preferred lifestyle.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Craven County

Reported Enrollment

12,755

26 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary15

Middle5

High5

Other1

1 School District in Craven County

Craven County Schools

Guide

26 schools

12,755 students enrolled

Open district guide

26 Public Schools in Craven County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 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 26 matching schools

Public schools in Craven County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
New Bern High	Profile	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,631
Havelock High	Profile	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Town: Fringe	9–12	High	1,104
West Craven High	Record	Craven County Schools	Vanceboro, 28586Rural: Distant	9–12	High	860
H J MacDonald Middle	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562City: Small	6–8	Middle	712
West Craven Middle	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	673
Arthur W Edwards Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Town: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	533
Tucker Creek Middle	Record	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	519
Grover C Fields Middle	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28560City: Small	6–8	Middle	509
Creekside Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	496
Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	Vanceboro, 28586Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	471
Brinson Memorial Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28560Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	453
Albert H Bangert Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	421
Roger Bell New Tech Academy	Record	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	408
Havelock Middle	Record	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	395
Trent Park Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562City: Small	KG–5	Primary	389
Oaks Road Academy	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28560City: Small	PK–5	Primary	387
Bridgeton Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28560Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	375
W Jesse Gurganus Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	Havelock, 28532Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	373
Ben D Quinn Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	New Bern, 28562Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	367
James W Smith Elementary	Record	Craven County Schools	Cove City, 28523Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	342

New Bern High

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,631 students

Havelock High

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,104 students

West Craven High

Craven County Schools

Vanceboro, 28586 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High860 students

H J MacDonald Middle

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle712 students

West Craven Middle

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle673 students

Arthur W Edwards Elementary

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary533 students

Tucker Creek Middle

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle519 students

Grover C Fields Middle

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28560 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle509 students

Creekside Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary496 students

Vanceboro-Farm Life Elementary

Craven County Schools

Vanceboro, 28586 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary471 students

Brinson Memorial Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28560 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary453 students

Albert H Bangert Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary421 students

Roger Bell New Tech Academy

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary408 students

Havelock Middle

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle395 students

Trent Park Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary389 students

Oaks Road Academy

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28560 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary387 students

Bridgeton Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28560 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary375 students

W Jesse Gurganus Elementary

Craven County Schools

Havelock, 28532 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary373 students

Ben D Quinn Elementary

Craven County Schools

New Bern, 28562 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary367 students

James W Smith Elementary

Craven County Schools

Cove City, 28523 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary342 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,496

State avg $6,969

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Craven 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 Craven County?

Craven County has a school score of 30/100, 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 Craven County?

The high school graduation rate in Craven County is 87.0%, 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 Craven County spend per student?

Craven County spends $6,496 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Craven County, North Carolina — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Craven County, North Carolina?

What are the major school districts in Craven County, North Carolina?

What is the school experience like in Craven County?

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By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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