Maps, data and more – UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (2024)

Maps, data and more – UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (1)

In the 2011-12 school year, charter school students in Mecklenburg numbered 8,281, or 5.68 percent of the 137,497 students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.*

Local nonprofit MeckEd has organized information on local charter schools in a way that will help make it easier to understand more about each school and the results each is achieving. Bill Anderson, MeckEd’s executive director, explained, “MeckEd believes it is critical to provide accurate and objective information about all charter schools in Mecklenburg County.” MeckEd plans to provide this information – including academic performance, student demographics and per-pupil expenditures – annually. The summary of charter schools in Mecklenburg County that MeckEd compiled is available at: http://www.mecked.org/index.php/get-engaged/resources/local-charter-schools/

Using data supplied by MeckEd, which is a data partner with the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, institute researchers developed interactive maps that allow for exploration of the county’s charter schools. To see the interactive maps, scroll to the bottom of this article or click on the map at right.

Charter schools are public schools but have more flexibility to operate than other public schools. The hope is that this increased freedom will produce innovation and creativity that will benefit students. Last year, the N.C. General Assembly eliminated a 100-school maximum for charter schools in North Carolina. There are now 107 charter schools operating in the state, and that number could increase substantially in 2013-14.

Charters can be organized by national organizations or by groups from within local communities. Some have been created by for-profit groups. The goal of a particular charter may be to provide programs designed for a specific local area or subgroup of students.

The data MeckEd compiled reveal many differences in Mecklenburg’s charter schools. The schools range from new (Corvian Community School) to 15 years old (Community Charter). They vary widely in student demographics and proficiency scores. Proficiency is measured with different tests, depending on the grade level, so a comparison across all schools is not simple.

Comparing racial demographics among all the schools in the county is more straightforward. The graph below shows the racial breakdown at each charter.

Maps, data and more – UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (3)

* provides transportation. **does not provide lunch on any day or did not respond to lunch question. Source: MeckEd.

Notes: Racial data were supplied by schools, based on students’ self-reported race. For readability the groups multi-racial,” American Indian” and “other” are not shown above. Demographic data for Crossroads Charter is from 2008-09. To see more specific data for individual schools refer to the map below or to MeckEd’s site.

The schools fall into three categories when viewed by racial makeup: 80 percent or more white population (5 schools), 80 percent or more black population (4 schools) and schools with 40-60 percent white population (4 schools). Only at Metrolina Scholars Academy is any group other than black or white students more than 20 percent of the enrollment, with 39 percent Asian students. Mecklenburg County’s overall 2011 population was 60.7 percent white and 31.5 percent black. (Click here for more demographic information on Mecklenburg County.)

In North Carolina, while the total number of charter schools was limited to 100 until last year, charter schools have not been a static group. Since charter schools have been operating in the state 45 schools have either closed or were granted charters and never opened. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, since 1997, 30 charter schools have relinquished their charter, 11 have had their charters revoked and 4 schools did not have their charters renewed by the state. Note: Groups interested in applying to the board for a charter for the fall must submit a letter of Intent to the state charter office no later than noon Jan. 4, 2013.

About charter schools

Charter schools are public schools that are primarily funded with public tax dollars. They have open enrollment across local school district boundaries. Click here for more information on N.C. charters. S.C. charter info is here.

The N.C. State Board of Education closed Highland Charter in Gastonia last summer for purely academic reasons – the first time a state charter was closed based only on academics. (Note: This school should not be confused with Gaston County’s Highland School of Technology, a magnet school with strong academic performance). Kennedy Charter, in Mecklenburg County, has just been given a three-year extension of its charter (compared to the standard five-year period) in exchange for agreeing to specific academic standards.

A 2009 Stanford study of charter schools concluded that, “a decent fraction of charter schools, 17 percent, provide superior education opportunities for their students. Nearly half of the charter schools nationwide have results that are no different from the local public school options and over a third, 37 percent, deliver learning results that are significantly worse than their student would have realized had they remained in traditional public schools.” North Carolina was in the group of states in this report in which charter schools “had mixed results or was no different than the gains for traditional peers.”

Much debate since the study’s release has focused on the wide variation among charter schools and on the fact that many overall differences between charter and traditional public schools were quite small.

As the door has opened to creating more charter schools across the state, there will certainly be more interest in the successes and failures among these schools. Many questions are yet to be answered. Who will have access to these options? What is the return on investment for expending scarce resources on charter schools? What new levels of state supervision will a growing set of charter schools require? Is the competitive nature of charter schools vs. traditional public schools spurring innovation for both groups? Stay tuned.

Scroll below to see interactive maps.

Source: MeckEd. Note: data are self-reported by each school. See notes on maps at individual schools for more information.

The maps above show the locations of charter schools in Mecklenburg County and provide detailed information about each school. Select the tab to choose basic, demographic or proficiency data, and then click on individual schools to see data related to that school. Zoom or pan within the map to get a better idea of where the schools are. Data featured in the maps was supplied by MeckEd, which is a data partner with the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute. Click here to see summaries of each of the county’s charter schools from MeckEd.

*Download data summarizing N.C. county charter school populations here.

Maps, data and more – UNC Charlotte Urban Institute (2024)

FAQs

What makes UNC Charlotte unique? ›

As North Carolina's urban research university, UNC Charlotte is a diverse and inclusive institution with local-to-global impact that transforms lives, communities and industries through access and affordability, exemplary undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, scholarship, creative work, innovation and ...

What is the acceptance rate for UNC Charlotte Chapel Hill? ›

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admissions has an acceptance rate of 17% and an early acceptance rate of 21.9%. Half the applicants admitted to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1350 and 1530 or an ACT score of 30 and 34.

What programs are good at UNC Charlotte? ›

The most popular majors at University of North Carolina--Charlotte include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Health Professions and Related Programs; Engineering; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Psychology; Social Sciences; ...

What does UNC Charlotte stand for? ›

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina.

How large is UNC Charlotte? ›

UNC Charlotte is North Carolina's urban research institution. Our 1,000-acre campus is located in the piedmont of North Carolina, just two hours from the mountains and three hours from the Atlantic Ocean.

Is UNC Charlotte a hard school to get into? ›

The acceptance rate at UNC Charlotte is 79.6%.

In other words, of 100 students who apply, 80 are admitted. This means the school is not selective. As long as you don't fall way below average, you'll likely get in.

What major is UNC Charlotte known for? ›

Most Popular Majors
  • Computer Science. 593 Graduates.
  • Psychology. 396 Graduates.
  • Finance. 380 Graduates.
  • Healthcare Management. 354 Graduates.
  • Communications. 311 Graduates.
  • Biology. 267 Graduates.
  • Criminal Justice and Safety Studies. 246 Graduates.
  • Marketing. 220 Graduates.

What GPA do you need to get into UNC Charlotte? ›

With a GPA of 3.55, UNC Charlotte requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes.

Where does UNC Charlotte rank academically? ›

University of North Carolina—Charlotte's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #178.

Why is UNC so hard to get into? ›

The fact that there are formal UNC GPA requirements and minimum UNC SAT scores also attests to this. Additionally, UNC Chapel Hill admissions seek students with attributes and interests outside of the classroom. Overall, they look for students who would enrich the campus community.

What is a fun fact about UNC Charlotte? ›

Listen to the Fight Song played by the UNC Charlotte Marching Band. A miner was chosen as our mascot as a nod to Reed Gold Mine in nearby Concord, the site of the first documented gold find in the United States in 1799. He was named Norm through popular student vote shortly after he was made our mascot.

Is UNCC a respected school? ›

Climbing the ranks

2023 Best Online Programs: U.S. News ranked Charlotte No. 4 (tied) in the nation for its online bachelor's programs. 2023-24 Best Graduate Schools: 11 Charlotte graduate programs or specialties increased their rankings. 2022-23 Best Global Universities: Charlotte increased 25 spots overall and is No.

Is UNC Charlotte a good party school? ›

Party Scene

Tons of raging parties almost any night of the week. Lots of options Wednesday-Saturday. Some decent frat/house parties, weekends only. Good parties are few and far between.

What is the UNCC famous for? ›

A: UNCC has been recognised internationally with renowned faculty with good quality of graduate programmes at the Masters and doctoral levels. The university is made up of seven colleges offering 170 majors in 79 programmes leading to Bachelors Degree, 64 Masters Degrees and 24 Doctoral Degrees.

Why do people want to go to UNC Charlotte? ›

We're more than a place to call home.

We're a growing, thriving University that is writing its next chapter by embracing academic excellence and accessibility. We empower students of all backgrounds to make the most of their diverse experiences to positively shape their lives.

What makes UNC Charlotte special? ›

Charlotte is the region's research powerhouse. With nearly 30,000 students and counting, our trajectory is skyrocketing. Most impressive, we attract a diverse and unique student body. Niners hail from 47 states and over 100 countries and 34 percent of undergraduates are first-generation college students.

What is the racial diversity of UNC Charlotte? ›

The enrolled student population at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, both undergraduate and graduate, is 49.7% White, 16.5% Black or African American, 12.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.68% Asian, 4.37% Two or More Races, 0.271% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0508% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

What is the largest university in North Carolina? ›

Home to more than 36,000 students, NC State is the largest university in the Carolinas and a world-renowned research powerhouse.

What is the male to female ratio at UNC Charlotte? ›

Gender Diversity
GenderPercent of Students
Men49%
Women51%

Is UNC Charlotte hard to get into? ›

University of North Carolina--Charlotte admissions has an acceptance rate of 80% and an early acceptance rate of 88.1%. Half the applicants admitted to University of North Carolina--Charlotte who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1070 and 1290 or an ACT score of 20 and 26.

What percentage of UNC Charlotte students are in Greek life? ›

UNC Charlotte students can join any of the nearly 400 student organizations on campus; however, approximately 6 percent of the student body are members of a fraternity or sorority.

What is the slogan of UNC Charlotte? ›

The tagline “Stake Your Claim” evokes the heritage of Charlotte's gold rush origins. It also positioned UNC Charlotte as North Carolina's most ambitious university.

What makes Charlotte NC special? ›

Known as the “Queen City,” Charlotte is known for its perfect blend of Southern charm and modern sophistication, with a growing skyline, bustling streets, and a dynamic arts and culture scene.

What makes UNC Charlotte a good school? ›

Quality Research and Academics

With nearly 170 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs and opportunities to be a part of groundbreaking research, UNC Charlotte can help make your ideal career a reality.

Why choose the University of North Carolina Charlotte? ›

We're more than a place to call home.

We're a growing, thriving University that is writing its next chapter by embracing academic excellence and accessibility. We empower students of all backgrounds to make the most of their diverse experiences to positively shape their lives.

What is unique about North Carolina university? ›

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nation's first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century.

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