Tri-County Early College High

Q: Is Tri-County Early College High a good school?

Tri-County Early College High ranks 140 th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Tri-County Early College High is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Murphy, North Carolina, with a student population of 129 as of the 2022-2023 school year. This small school consistently outperforms the Cherokee County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic metrics, while also serving a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools like Hiwassee Dam High and Andrews High.

Tri-County Early College High has a strong academic focus, with 91.4% proficiency in EOC English II, compared to 65.1% for the district and 59.7% for the state. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 15.4 to 18.5 over the past three school years. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 29.05% in 2020-2021 to 62.02% in 2022-2023, indicating it serves a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

Interestingly, the school's female students have consistently outperformed their male counterparts in the statewide rankings, with the female students ranking in the top 20% of North Carolina high schools in the 2023-2024 school year. While Tri-County Early College High's strong academic performance and commitment to serving a diverse student population are commendable, the school may face unique challenges in providing additional support and resources to ensure the continued success of its economically disadvantaged students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

Tri-County Early College High
Murphy, NC 28906

(828) 837-6775

District: Cherokee County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,830

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 153

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.2%

Hispanic:

18.3%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Tri-County Early College High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Tri-County Early College High ranks better than 78.1% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 4 ranked high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.69. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.2%), Hispanic (18.3%), two or more races (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tri-County Early College High is 14.1. 2 high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Tri-County Early College High employs 10.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Tri-County Early College High is $7,830, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Cherokee County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Tri-County Early College High:

SchoolDigger ranks Tri-County Early College High 140^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Tri-County Early College High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

White students:

Cherokee County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherokee County Schools 82^nd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Tri-County Early College High

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Rank History for all students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	65.48	181^st	594	69.5%
2022	69.39	172^nd	621	72.3%
2023	77.69	140^th	626	77.6%
2024	77.69	140^th	640	78.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	75.60	103^rd	544	81.1%
2023	77.09	113^th	597	81.1%
2024	78.27	122^nd	613	80.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	66.01	186^th	594	68.7%
2023	77.86	128^th	588	78.2%
2024	83.24	114^th	602	81.1%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	67.52	131^st	398	67.1%
2024	66.24	143^rd	403	64.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	67.96	171^st	585	70.8%
2023	81.55	121^st	602	79.9%
2024	52.57	270^th	607	55.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	66.08	110^th	436	74.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Tri-County Early College High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	57.10	222^nd	534	58.4%
2023	74.84	137^th	537	74.5%
2024	67.26	188^th	553	66.0%

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 Tri-County Early College High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	41	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	41
2008	65	0	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	70
2009	85	0	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	95
2010	95	0	3	3	2	n/a	n/a	103
2011	98	1	4	1	1	0	0	105
2012	111	1	3	3	2	0	0	120
2013	122	1	1	2	2	0	2	130
2014	113	1	1	1	3	0	8	127
2015	121	1	1	1	3	0	5	132
2016	122	0	0	7	4	0	8	141
2017	134	0	0	11	2	0	5	152
2018	122	0	0	12	2	0	4	140
2019	124	0	0	14	1	0	5	144
2020	123	1	0	17	0	1	4	146
2021	123	0	0	20	0	1	4	148
2022	104	0	1	28	0	1	4	138
2023	95	0	2	27	0	1	4	129
2024	115	3	3	28	0	0	4	153

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 Tri-County Early College High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	41	3.0	13.7	48.8
2008	70	5.0	14.0	47.1
2009	95	5.0	19.0	31.6
2010	103	5.5	18.7	42.7
2011	105	6.0	17.5	33.3
2012	120	6.0	20.0	36.7
2013	130	6.0	21.6	39.2
2014	127	6.0	21.1	38.6
2015	132	7.0	18.8	32.6
2016	141	6.0	23.5	37.6
2017	152	6.0	25.3	39.5
2018	140	7.0	20.0	30.7
2019	144	6.0	24.0	36.1
2020	146	8.0	18.2	33.6
2021	148	8.0	18.5	29.1
2022	138	8.2	16.6	30.4
2023	129	8.3	15.4	62
2024	153	10.8	14.1	98

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 Tri-County Early College High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	41	3.0	13.7	48.8
2008	70	5.0	14.0	47.1
2009	95	5.0	19.0	31.6
2010	103	5.5	18.7	42.7
2011	105	6.0	17.5	33.3
2012	120	6.0	20.0	36.7
2013	130	6.0	21.6	39.2
2014	127	6.0	21.1	38.6
2015	132	7.0	18.8	32.6
2016	141	6.0	23.5	37.6
2017	152	6.0	25.3	39.5
2018	140	7.0	20.0	30.7
2019	144	6.0	24.0	36.1
2020	146	8.0	18.2	33.6
2021	148	8.0	18.5	29.1
2022	138	8.2	16.6	30.4
2023	129	8.3	15.4	62
2024	153	10.8	14.1	98

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 Tri-County Early College High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$280 (3.6%)	$7,549 (96.4%)	$7,830

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Tri-County Early College High

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 (Tri-County Early College High)	65.5	61.3	4.2%
End of Course Biology (Cherokee County Schools)	48.4	51.7	3.3%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Tri-County Early College High)	86.7	100	13.3%
End of Course English II (Cherokee County Schools)	64.1	68	3.9%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Tri-County Early College High)	52.6	81.5	28.9%
End of Course Math I (Cherokee County Schools)	30.9	47.2	16.3%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Tri-County Early College High)	80.5	60.9	19.6%
End of Course Math III (Cherokee County Schools)	44.1	52.9	8.8%
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	144	129	10.4%
African American	0	0
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	14	27	92.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	124	95	23.4%
Two or More Races	5	4	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.1%	62%	25.9%

Schools Near Tri-County Early College High

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 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 Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Tri-County Early College High	Public	9-12	Tri-County Early College High	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-6775	153	11	14.1	98.0%	115 (75.2%)	3 (2.0%)	28 (18.3%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	77.7	140^th of 640 public high schools	78.1%		77.7	140^th of 626 public high schools	77.6%		80.0	91.4	46.9	76.2			$7,830	$280	$7,549
The Oaks Academy	Public	6-12	The Oaks Academy	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-6775	52	8	6.3	94.2%	44 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.8%)								(n/a)		12.5			9.1	36.4	$16,426	$280	$16,146
Murphy High	Public	9-12	234 High School Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-2426	433	28	15.4	99.3%	357 (82.4%)	12 (2.8%)	27 (6.2%)	4 (0.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.5%)	53.4	279^th of 640 public high schools	56.4%		58.3	240^th of 626 public high schools	61.7%	39	44.1	65.3	59.5	62.6			$10,724	$1,248	$9,476
Hayesville High	Public	9-12	205 Yellow Jacket Drive	Hayesville	28904	Clay County	Clay County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 389-6532	374	27	14.0	49.7%	322 (86.1%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.3%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.2%)	56.4	251^st of 640 public high schools	60.8%		64.4	197^th of 626 public high schools	68.5%	54	58.3	66.4	35.4	71.0			$14,651	$1,180	$13,471
Andrews High	Public	9-12	50 High School Drive	Andrews	28901	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 321-5415	222	16	14.1	98.6%	184 (82.9%)	1 (0.5%)	20 (9.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.8%)	32.7	422^nd of 640 public high schools	34.1%		49	298^th of 626 public high schools	52.4%	124	42.9	67.2	23.1	34.0			$14,037	$1,030	$13,007
Hiwassee Dam High	Public	9-12	267 Blue Eagle Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 644-5115	141	15	9.5	97.9%	128 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.5%)	27.8	469^th of 640 public high schools	26.7%		24.4	480^th of 626 public high schools	23.3%	11	21.7	60.0	40.0	36.4			$12,078	$452	$11,625

Frequently Asked Questions about Tri-County Early College High

What is the racial makeup of Tri-County Early College High?

Students at Tri-County Early College High are 75% White, 18% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Tri-County Early College High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 153 students attended Tri-County Early College High.

Is Tri-County Early College High a good school?

Tri-County Early College High ranks 140^th of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Tri-County Early College High in?

Cherokee County Schools

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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.