Early College

Q: Is Early College a good school?

Early College ranks 94 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Early College is a public high school located in Asheville, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 274 students. As part of the Buncombe County Schools district, Early College consistently outperforms the district and the state of North Carolina in academic performance, earning a strong statewide ranking and exceptional results across various student subgroups.

One of the key factors that sets Early College apart is its academic excellence. The school consistently achieves higher end-of-course (EOC) test scores compared to the Buncombe County district and the state of North Carolina, with an impressive 89.3% proficiency in English II, compared to 63.3% for the district and 59.7% for the state. Additionally, Early College has maintained a top 100 statewide ranking for the past several years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance is particularly noteworthy across student subgroups, including female, male, Hispanic, and white students, as well as low-socioeconomic status (SES) students, where it ranks among the top 100 high schools in North Carolina.

When compared to other high schools in the Asheville area, such as Enka High, Roberson High, and Erwin High, Early College stands out as a top-performing institution, with significantly higher EOC proficiency rates in subjects like Math I and Math III. While the school's performance is exceptional overall, it does have a relatively lower ranking for gifted and talented students, suggesting a potential area for improvement in supporting its high-achieving students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

340 Victoria Road
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 232-4123

District: Buncombe County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,736

Student/teacher ratio: 23.5

Number of students: 274

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.6%

Hispanic:

37.6%

African American:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Early College ranks better than 85.3% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 2^nd among 9 ranked high schools in the Buncombe County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.65. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (52.6%), Hispanic (37.6%), African American (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Early College is 23.5, which is the highest among 10 high schools in the Buncombe County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Early College employs 11.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Early College is $7,736. 8 high schools in the Buncombe County Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Early College 94^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See 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:

Buncombe County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Buncombe County Schools 107^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Early College

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Rank History for all students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	92.69	51^st	594	91.4%
2022	87.19	94^th	621	84.9%
2023	87.13	92^nd	626	85.3%
2024	88.65	94^th	640	85.3%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	95.89	37^th	544	93.2%
2023	91.77	70^th	597	88.3%
2024	93.63	64^th	613	89.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	82.00	111^th	594	81.3%
2023	81.05	110^th	588	81.3%
2024	85.31	106^th	602	82.4%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	61.53	179^th	398	55.0%
2023	64.34	161^st	403	60.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	91.50	73^rd	585	87.5%
2023	93.67	51^st	602	91.5%
2024	90.55	79^th	607	87.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	89.02	59^th	436	86.5%
2023	86.62	62^nd	449	86.2%
2024	86.93	65^th	454	85.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	85.82	83^rd	534	84.5%
2023	87.78	68^th	537	87.3%
2024	89.54	64^th	553	88.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2004	68	6	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	75
2005	86	8	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	95
2006	90	7	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	99
2007	94	8	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	6	113
2008	135	9	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	8	159
2009	184	22	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	216
2010	196	20	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	226
2011	181	9	2	10	1	0	5	0	208
2012	188	8	4	12	1	0	5	0	218
2013	185	6	5	18	2	0	2	0	218
2014	184	7	6	23	1	0	5	0	226
2015	214	5	10	29	1	0	7	0	266
2016	203	4	11	38	2	0	11	0	269
2017	210	8	10	41	1	0	8	0	278
2018	198	6	11	52	1	0	10	0	278
2019	185	9	8	59	0	0	12	0	273
2020	162	11	5	75	0	0	11	0	264
2021	171	13	4	88	1	0	8	0	285
2022	148	12	4	100	1	1	12	0	278
2023	144	13	3	103	1	2	8	0	274

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 Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	75	8.0	9.4	0
2005	95	8.0	11.9	n/a
2006	99	8.0	12.4	24.2
2007	113	9.2	12.3	40.2
2008	159	11.2	14.2	38.4
2009	216	12.3	17.6	n/a
2010	226	14.3	15.8	41.6
2011	208	15.3	13.5	47.1
2012	218	14.6	14.9	43.1
2013	218	14.0	15.5	52.3
2014	226	13.5	16.7	52.7
2015	266	13.0	20.4	42.5
2016	269	14.0	19.2	42.4
2017	278	13.9	19.9	39.2
2018	278	13.1	21.2	37.8
2019	273	13.5	20.1	38.1
2020	264	12.9	20.3	38.3
2021	285	12.8	22.2	27.7
2022	278	11.6	23.8	40.6
2023	274	11.6	23.5	58.8

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 Early College

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	75	8.0	9.4	0
2005	95	8.0	11.9	n/a
2006	99	8.0	12.4	24.2
2007	113	9.2	12.3	40.2
2008	159	11.2	14.2	38.4
2009	216	12.3	17.6	n/a
2010	226	14.3	15.8	41.6
2011	208	15.3	13.5	47.1
2012	218	14.6	14.9	43.1
2013	218	14.0	15.5	52.3
2014	226	13.5	16.7	52.7
2015	266	13.0	20.4	42.5
2016	269	14.0	19.2	42.4
2017	278	13.9	19.9	39.2
2018	278	13.1	21.2	37.8
2019	273	13.5	20.1	38.1
2020	264	12.9	20.3	38.3
2021	285	12.8	22.2	27.7
2022	278	11.6	23.8	40.6
2023	274	11.6	23.5	58.8

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 Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$216 (2.8%)	$7,520 (97.2%)	$7,736

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on 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 (Early College)	76.3	69.4	6.9%
End of Course Biology (Buncombe County Schools)	65.4	62	3.4%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Early College)	88.3	82.8	5.5%
End of Course English II (Buncombe County Schools)	64.1	61.9	2.2%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Early College)	58.5	86	27.5%
End of Course Math I (Buncombe County Schools)	49.8	42.8	7%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Early College)	76.7	98.4	21.7%
End of Course Math III (Buncombe County Schools)	59.5	66.6	7.1%
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	273	274	0.4%
African American	9	13	44.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	8	3	62.5%
Hispanic	59	103	74.6%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	185	144	22.2%
Two or More Races	12	8	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.1%	58.8%	20.7%

Schools Near 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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Early College	Public	9-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	274	12	23.5	58.8%	144 (52.6%)	13 (4.7%)	103 (37.6%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.9%)	88.6	94^th of 640 public high schools	85.3%		87.1	92^nd of 626 public high schools	85.3%	2	74.5	89.3	76.2	94.1											$7,736	$216	$7,520
Middle College	Public	10-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	49	3	15.0	28.6%	39 (79.6%)	2 (4.1%)	4 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.2%)								(n/a)															$10,465	$251	$10,214
Asheville High	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2500	1,166	83	14.0	33.4%	765 (65.6%)	191 (16.4%)	100 (8.6%)	14 (1.2%)	4 (0.3%)	16 (1.4%)	76 (6.5%)	45.6	327^th of 640 public high schools	48.9%		51.7	278^th of 626 public high schools	55.6%	49	54.8	66.8	31.8	52.1											$14,811	$688	$14,123
School of Inquiry and Life Sciences	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2700	344	14	24.5	32.8%	227 (66.0%)	49 (14.2%)	37 (10.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	26 (7.6%)	64.4	209^th of 640 public high schools	67.3%		64.2	199^th of 626 public high schools	68.2%	10	56.6	78.9	44.1	71.7											$7,028	$199	$6,830
Nesbitt Discovery Academy	Public	9-12	175 Bingham Rd Ste 10	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 271-4521	374	19	19.8	20.3%	306 (81.8%)	8 (2.1%)	32 (8.6%)	20 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.6%)	95.7	16^th of 640 public high schools	97.5%		96	9^th of 626 public high schools	98.6%	7			100.0	98.9											$7,222	$451	$6,771
The Franklin School of Innovation	Public, Charter	5-12	61 Innovation Dr	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	The Franklin School of Innovation	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 318-8140	694	51	13.4		561 (80.8%)	12 (1.7%)	56 (8.1%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.5%)	59.9	234^th of 640 public high schools	63.4%		59.8	227^th of 626 public high schools	63.7%	7	47.6	77.1	41.5	78.6	50.6	69.1	57.0	22.4	60.0	52.6	58.0	64.3	67.1	80.6
Reynolds High	Public	9-12	One Rocket Drive	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 298-2500	1,133	69	16.3	42.0%	768 (67.8%)	130 (11.5%)	150 (13.2%)	12 (1.1%)	5 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (5.7%)	61.7	223^rd of 640 public high schools	65.2%		59.6	230^th of 626 public high schools	63.3%	7	80.7	69.9	40.9	61.4											$9,315	$663	$8,652
Erwin High	Public	9-12	60 Lees Creek Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4251	1,096	76	14.3	63.9%	569 (51.9%)	91 (8.3%)	357 (32.6%)	11 (1.0%)	5 (0.5%)	19 (1.7%)	44 (4.0%)	19.8	516^th of 640 public high schools	19.4%		28.9	440^th of 626 public high schools	29.7%	76	40.9	42.6	17.8	34.6											$10,603	$744	$9,859
Roberson High	Public	9-12	250 Overlook Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-1765	1,491	96	15.5	43.1%	858 (57.5%)	132 (8.9%)	338 (22.7%)	50 (3.4%)	4 (0.3%)	8 (0.5%)	101 (6.8%)	53.3	280^th of 640 public high schools	56.3%		58.8	236^th of 626 public high schools	62.3%	44	55.9	65.4	48.8	56.9											$10,511	$1,345	$9,166
Enka High	Public	9-12	475 Enka Lake Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 670-5000	1,045	66	15.8	57.5%	731 (70.0%)	26 (2.5%)	246 (23.5%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (3.1%)	42.5	355^th of 640 public high schools	44.5%		59.7	229^th of 626 public high schools	63.4%	126	58.0	57.6	30.5	53.3											$9,892	$617	$9,276

Frequently Asked Questions about Early College

What district is Early College in?

Buncombe County Schools

How many students attend Early College?

In the 2022-23 school year, 274 students attended Early College.

Is Early College a good school?

Early College ranks 94^th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Early College?

Students at Early College are 53% White, 38% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.