Alexander Early College

Q: Is Alexander Early College a good school?

Alexander Early College ranks 106 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Alexander Early College is a public high school located in Taylorsville, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 165. The school is part of the Alexander County Schools district, which is ranked 104 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Alexander Early College consistently outperforms the district and state averages in End-of-Course (EOC) test scores across various subjects, including Biology, English II, Math I, and Math III. For the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were significantly higher than the district and state, with a 75.7% proficiency rate in Biology (compared to 66.6% for the district and 53.4% for the state), 84.2% in English II (compared to 61.4% for the district and 59.7% for the state), 83.8% in Math I (compared to 45.9% for the district and 36.9% for the state), and 81.1% in Math III (compared to 65.1% for the district and 57.6% for the state). This trend of academic excellence has been consistent over the past few years, with Alexander Early College consistently ranking among the top high schools in North Carolina, reaching as high as 13th out of 621 schools in the 2021-2022 school year.

Alexander Early College has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 73.33% White, 1.21% African American, 18.18% Hispanic, 6.06% Asian, and 1.21% two or more races in the 2022-2023 school year. This diversity is notable compared to the nearby Alexander Central High School, which has a student population that is 78.81% White, 5.49% African American, and 9.91% Hispanic. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 19.57% in the 2020-2021 school year to 36.97% in the 2022-2023 school year, suggesting that the school is serving a growing population of students from lower-income backgrounds.

Detail:

Public 9-12

345 Industrial Blvd
Taylorsville, NC 28681

(828) 632-8221

District: Alexander County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
106^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,455

Student/teacher ratio: 23.5

Number of students: 165

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.3%

Hispanic:

18.2%

Asian:

6.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Alexander Early College ranks better than 83.4% of high schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.29. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.3%), Hispanic (18.2%), Asian (6.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alexander Early College is 23.5. (See more...)

Compare Alexander Early College employs 7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alexander Early College is $6,455.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Alexander Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Alexander Early College 106^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Alexander Early College in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Alexander County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Alexander County Schools 104^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Alexander Early College

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Rank History for all students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	93.74	42^nd	594	92.9%
2022	96.09	13^th	621	97.9%
2023	95.83	15^th	626	97.6%
2024	86.29	106^th	640	83.4%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	97.08	7^th	424	98.3%
2019	87.34	18^th	446	96.0%
2021	92.27	13^th	432	97.0%
2023	98.31	8^th	597	98.7%
2024	93.31	67^th	613	89.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	86.40	30^th	449	93.3%
2019	86.92	29^th	475	93.9%
2021	96.40	5^th	475	98.9%
2022	94.13	23^rd	594	96.1%
2023	94.75	19^th	588	96.8%
2024	82.96	115^th	602	80.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	85.38	4^th	337	98.8%
2023	81.07	48^th	403	88.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	97.37	1^st	463	99.8%
2019	94.66	10^th	488	98.0%
2021	86.06	36^th	481	92.5%
2022	97.83	1^st	585	99.8%
2023	96.69	9^th	602	98.5%
2024	87.14	108^th	607	82.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	78.00	33^rd	340	90.3%
2019	86.48	15^th	354	95.8%
2023	98.06	17^th	449	96.2%
2024	91.47	52^nd	454	88.5%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Alexander Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2018	91.66	13^th	427	97.0%
2019	89.70	14^th	444	96.8%
2021	94.68	9^th	439	97.9%
2022	94.22	22^nd	534	95.9%
2023	93.79	24^th	537	95.5%
2024	77.87	126^th	553	77.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Monday, February 25, 2019

This school has a great collection of teachers. However, they have a policy where teachers must assign 40 minutes of homework each night which quickly adds up and can be rather overwhelming. Additionally, it is fairly new so it offers a limited amount of courses to gain one's associate degree. For example, only Spanish is offered for the foreign language requirement. However, two free years of college is two free years of college. You take what you can get. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Alexander Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2017	39	3	2	11	1	56
2018	110	4	7	25	4	150
2019	141	3	9	34	8	195
2020	171	2	11	39	7	230
2021	172	1	14	36	7	230
2022	148	2	11	28	4	193
2023	121	2	10	30	2	165

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Alexander Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	56	4.0	14.0	53.6
2018	150	8.0	18.7	38
2019	195	7.8	24.7	26.7
2020	230	7.8	29.2	22.2
2021	230	7.0	32.8	19.6
2022	193	8.0	24.1	16.6
2023	165	7.0	23.5	37

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Alexander Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	56	4.0	14.0	53.6
2018	150	8.0	18.7	38
2019	195	7.8	24.7	26.7
2020	230	7.8	29.2	22.2
2021	230	7.0	32.8	19.6
2022	193	8.0	24.1	16.6
2023	165	7.0	23.5	37

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Alexander Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$116 (1.8%)	$6,339 (98.2%)	$6,455

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Alexander Early College

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (Alexander Early College)	87	98	11%
End of Course Biology (Alexander County Schools)	62.2	62.8	0.6%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Alexander Early College)	88.5	98.1	9.6%
End of Course English II (Alexander County Schools)	55.3	61.7	6.4%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Alexander Early College)	78.3	82.5	4.2%
End of Course Math I (Alexander County Schools)	57.7	58.6	0.9%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Alexander Early College)	87	100	13%
End of Course Math III (Alexander County Schools)	63.6	72.7	9.1%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	195	165	15.4%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	10	11.1%
Hispanic	34	30	11.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	141	121	14.2%
Two or More Races	8	2	75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.7%	37%	10.3%

Schools Near Alexander Early College

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)	EOG Reading (2024)	EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alexander Early College	Public	9-12	345 Industrial Blvd	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-8221	165	7	23.5	37.0%	121 (73.3%)	2 (1.2%)	30 (18.2%)	10 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	86.3	106^th of 640 public high schools	83.4%		95.8	15^th of 626 public high schools	97.6%	91	75.7	84.2	83.8	81.1				$6,455	$116	$6,339
Alexander Central High	Public	9-12	223 School Drive	Taylorsville	28681	Alexander County	Alexander County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 632-7063	1,312	87	15.0	46.9%	1,034 (78.8%)	72 (5.5%)	130 (9.9%)	9 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (5.0%)	54.2	269^th of 640 public high schools	58.0%		56.9	248^th of 626 public high schools	60.4%	21	65.5	58.8	41.1	62.9				$10,255	$776	$9,479
Saint Stephens High	Public	9-12	3205 34th Street Drive NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 256-9841	1,265	68	18.5	53.4%	613 (48.5%)	82 (6.5%)	419 (33.1%)	53 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	95 (7.5%)	50.2	297^th of 640 public high schools	53.6%		46.9	309^th of 626 public high schools	50.6%	12	50.9	56.5	54.2	59.8				$8,502	$740	$7,761
Gateway School	Public	6-12	1889 Dudley Shoals Road	Granite Falls	28630	Caldwell County	Caldwell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 396-8373	58	12	4.8	94.8%	39 (67.2%)	4 (6.9%)	7 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (13.8%)	8.2	608^th of 640 public high schools	5.0%		10.5	577^th of 626 public high schools	7.8%	31	18.8		14.3		9.1	9.1	36.4	$28,313	$1,830	$26,484
Bunker Hill High	Public	9-12	4675 Oxford School Road	Claremont	28610	Catawba County	Catawba County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 241-3355	828	46	17.9	56.3%	467 (56.4%)	45 (5.4%)	167 (20.2%)	100 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (5.9%)	38.7	377^th of 640 public high schools	41.1%		45.3	321^st of 626 public high schools	48.7%	56	48.1	53.9	37.4	52.6				$8,880	$745	$8,136
West Iredell High	Public	9-12	213 Warrior Dr	Statesville	28625	Iredell County	Iredell-Statesville Schools	No	No	No	No	(704) 873-2181	844	49	17.1	61.3%	475 (56.3%)	134 (15.9%)	139 (16.5%)	34 (4.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (7.0%)	11.5	579^th of 640 public high schools	9.5%		17.1	529^th of 626 public high schools	15.5%	50	35.0	24.7	15.2	25.0				$9,961	$600	$9,361
Wilkes Central High School	Public	9-12	1179 Moravian Falls Rd	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 667-5277	752	50	15.0	53.7%	414 (55.1%)	80 (10.6%)	195 (25.9%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (7.6%)	30.9	442^nd of 640 public high schools	30.9%		38	371^st of 626 public high schools	40.7%	71	35.6	50.2	43.1	44.9				$9,054	$938	$8,116
Hickory High	Public	9-12	1234 3rd Street NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 322-5860	1,014	60	17.0	62.4%	339 (33.4%)	213 (21.0%)	316 (31.2%)	40 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	103 (10.2%)	37.8	390^th of 640 public high schools	39.1%		38.8	362^nd of 626 public high schools	42.2%	28	43.6	57.1	44.5	47.3				$8,704	$694	$8,010
Hickory Career Arts Magnet High School	Public	9-12	409 8th Avenue NE	Hickory	28601	Catawba County	Hickory City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 328-6738	229	21	10.7	59.4%	115 (50.2%)	29 (12.7%)	57 (24.9%)	6 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (9.2%)	61.7	224^th of 640 public high schools	65.0%		77.2	143^rd of 626 public high schools	77.2%	81	64.4	82.3	38.5	59.2				$15,342	$1,043	$14,299
Wilkes Early College High School	Public	9-12	1328 S Collegiate Dr	Wilkesboro	28697	Wilkes County	Wilkes County Schools	No	No	No	No	(336) 838-6247	257	9	28.5	31.9%	205 (79.8%)	6 (2.3%)	32 (12.5%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	90.2	72^nd of 640 public high schools	88.8%		91.8	53^rd of 626 public high schools	91.5%	19	77.6	98.3	70.7	94.7				$6,729	$458	$6,271

Frequently Asked Questions about Alexander Early College

Is Alexander Early College a good school?

Alexander Early College ranks 106^th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Alexander Early College?

Students at Alexander Early College are 73% White, 18% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 1% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Alexander Early College in?

Alexander County Schools

How many students attend Alexander Early College?

In the 2022-23 school year, 165 students attended Alexander Early College.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.