Jackson County Early College

Q: Is Jackson County Early College a good school?

Jackson County Early College ranks 103 rd of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Jackson County Early College is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Sylva, North Carolina, with a small student population of 101 students. Despite being part of the Jackson County Public Schools district, which is ranked 171 out of 242 districts in the state, Jackson County Early College stands out as a high-performing school with exceptional academic achievement.

The school consistently ranks among the top high schools in North Carolina, receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its students perform exceptionally well on End-of-Course (EOC) exams, with proficiency rates significantly higher than the district and state averages, particularly in subjects like Biology, Math III, and English II. Jackson County Early College also ranks highly for specific student groups, such as female students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, outperforming nearby schools like Tuscola High and Macon Early College High School.

Despite the school's small size and the challenges faced by the broader Jackson County Public Schools district, Jackson County Early College has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools and is able to maintain its strong academic performance, even with an increasing percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests the school is effectively supporting students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, making it a standout option for families in the region.

Detail:

Public 9-13

404 College Drive
Sylva, NC 28779

(828) 339-4499

District: Jackson County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
103^rd of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,254

Feeder schools for Jackson County Early College:

Elementary:	Blue Ridge School
	Cullowhee Valley School
	Fairview School
	Scotts Creek School
	More...
	Smokey Mountain Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 27.2

Number of students: 109

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.8%

Hispanic:

12.8%

Two or more races:

7.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.4%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Jackson County Early College to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Jackson County Early College ranks better than 83.9% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 4 ranked high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.05. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.8%), Hispanic (12.8%), two or more races (7.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Jackson County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Jackson County Early College is 27.2, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Jackson County Early College employs 4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Jackson County Early College is $7,254, which is the lowest among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Jackson County Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson County Early College 103^rd of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Jackson County Early College in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Jackson County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson County Public Schools 171^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Jackson County Early College

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Rank History for all students at Jackson County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	97.21	13^th	594	97.8%
2022	89.90	77^th	621	87.6%
2023	90.29	64^th	626	89.8%
2024	87.05	103^rd	640	83.9%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Jackson County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	89.61	77^th	597	87.1%
2024	97.93	16^th	613	97.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Jackson County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	92.60	35^th	594	94.1%
2023	80.45	112^th	588	81.0%
2024	93.78	33^rd	602	94.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Jackson County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	94.05	49^th	602	91.9%
2024	87.76	101^st	607	83.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Jackson County Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	92.00	39^th	534	92.7%
2023	85.46	83^rd	537	84.5%
2024	88.77	69^th	553	87.5%

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 Jackson County Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	93	1	2	4	9	n/a	n/a	109
2011	102	0	2	6	10	0	0	120
2012	107	1	3	5	9	0	0	125
2013	93	1	3	7	14	0	1	119
2014	96	1	3	9	17	0	3	129
2015	109	0	6	11	15	1	3	145
2016	109	0	6	9	16	1	3	144
2017	102	0	6	11	12	2	1	134
2018	103	3	5	9	9	2	1	132
2019	103	5	4	11	8	1	2	134
2020	86	3	5	11	7	1	6	119
2021	85	0	5	11	6	0	9	116
2022	71	0	4	11	6	0	8	100
2023	67	1	5	14	6	0	8	101
2024	75	2	4	14	6	0	8	109

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 Jackson County Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	109	4.0	27.2	44
2011	120	4.0	30.0	45
2012	125	4.0	31.2	49.6
2013	119	3.7	31.6	58.8
2014	129	4.0	32.2	45.7
2015	145	4.0	36.2	42.1
2016	144	4.0	36.0	43.8
2017	134	4.0	33.5	41
2018	132	4.0	33.0	26.5
2019	134	3.9	34.1	21.6
2020	119	3.9	29.9	24.4
2021	116	4.0	29.0	11.2
2022	100	4.0	25.0	20
2023	101	4.0	25.2	41.6
2024	109	4.0	27.2	39.4

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 Jackson County Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	109	4.0	27.2	44
2011	120	4.0	30.0	45
2012	125	4.0	31.2	49.6
2013	119	3.7	31.6	58.8
2014	129	4.0	32.2	45.7
2015	145	4.0	36.2	42.1
2016	144	4.0	36.0	43.8
2017	134	4.0	33.5	41
2018	132	4.0	33.0	26.5
2019	134	3.9	34.1	21.6
2020	119	3.9	29.9	24.4
2021	116	4.0	29.0	11.2
2022	100	4.0	25.0	20
2023	101	4.0	25.2	41.6
2024	109	4.0	27.2	39.4

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 Jackson County Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$110 (1.5%)	$7,144 (98.5%)	$7,254

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Jackson County 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 English II (Jackson County Early College)	89.7	87	2.7%
End of Course English II (Jackson County Public Schools)	62.7	52.6	10.1%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Jackson County Early College)	72.2	94.4	22.2%
End of Course Math I (Jackson County Public Schools)	57.7	43.7	14%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Jackson County Early College)	63.3	92.6	29.3%
End of Course Math III (Jackson County Public Schools)	50.7	41.1	9.6%
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	134	101	24.6%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	8	6	25%
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	11	14	27.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	103	67	35%
Two or More Races	2	8	300%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.6%	41.6%	19.9%

Schools Near Jackson County 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 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jackson County Early College	Public	9-13	404 College Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 339-4499	109	4	27.2	39.4%	75 (68.8%)	2 (1.8%)	14 (12.8%)	4 (3.7%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.3%)	87	103^rd of 640 public high schools	83.9%		90.3	64^th of 626 public high schools	89.8%	39	89.7	100.0	41.2	96.8						$7,254	$111	$7,144
Smoky Mountain High School	Public	9-12	100 Smoky Mountain Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-2177	899	54	16.6	53.4%	625 (69.5%)	11 (1.2%)	176 (19.6%)	9 (1.0%)	40 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.2%)	39.8	372^nd of 640 public high schools	41.9%		37.2	378^th of 626 public high schools	39.6%	6	48.4	53.8	40.6	51.1						$11,017	$880	$10,137
Jackson Community School	Public	5-12	3770 Skyland Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-4328	69	9	8.1	95.7%	43 (62.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (10.1%)	4.3	623^rd of 640 public high schools	2.7%					(n/a)	11.8	25.0								$26,010	$1,858	$24,152
Cherokee Central High School	Public	6-12	200 Ravensford Drive	Cherokee	28719	Swain County	Cherokee Central High School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(828) 554-5030	675	78	8.6	99.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	675 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Central Haywood High	Public	9-12	62 Joy Lane	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 627-9944	68	11	6.1	94.1%	54 (79.4%)	2 (2.9%)	6 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.8%)								(n/a)				18.2						$18,725	$2,409	$16,316
Franklin High	Public	9-12	100 Panther Drive	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-6467	1,036	60	17.3	54.4%	747 (72.1%)	7 (0.7%)	241 (23.3%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.0%)	52.7	283^rd of 640 public high schools	55.8%		53	271^st of 626 public high schools	56.7%	12	49.6	53.0	47.0	77.0						$9,457	$662	$8,795
Swain County High School	Public	9-12	1415 Fontana Road	Bryson City	28713	Swain County	Swain County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 488-2152	559	41	13.4	99.5%	367 (65.7%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (6.4%)	3 (0.5%)	111 (19.9%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.2%)	24.9	486^th of 640 public high schools	24.1%		35.7	391^st of 626 public high schools	37.5%	95	37.2	49.7	18.9	46.3						$12,889	$1,251	$11,638
Blue Ridge Early College	Public	7-13	95 Bobcat Dr	Cashiers	28717	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 743-2646	136	13	10.8	97.8%	74 (54.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	24.2	489^th of 640 public high schools	23.6%		32.3	413^th of 626 public high schools	34.0%	76	47.1	47.4	29.6	26.1	46.2	15.8	34.6	31.6	52.6	$11,670	$875	$10,794
Macon Early College High School	Public	9-13	77 Siler Farm Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-2002	137	4	34.2	97.8%	92 (67.2%)	1 (0.7%)	36 (26.3%)	4 (2.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	81.7	127^th of 640 public high schools	80.2%		84.2	109^th of 626 public high schools	82.6%	18	69.4	88.6	63.0	82.5						$5,764	$103	$5,661
Tuscola High	Public	9-12	564 Tuscola School Rd	Waynesville	28786	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 456-2408	908	57	15.9	99.7%	742 (81.7%)	16 (1.8%)	103 (11.3%)	6 (0.7%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.6%)	75.2	154^th of 640 public high schools	75.9%		71.2	168^th of 626 public high schools	73.2%	14	70.7	68.2	62.0	84.5						$9,911	$860	$9,050

Frequently Asked Questions about Jackson County Early College

Is Jackson County Early College a good school?

Jackson County Early College ranks 103^rd of 640 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Jackson County Early College in?

Jackson County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Jackson County Early College?

Students at Jackson County Early College are 69% White, 13% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% American Indian, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

How many students attend Jackson County Early College?

In the 2023-24 school year, 109 students attended Jackson County Early College.

What schools feed into Jackson County Early College?

Jackson County Early College is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Blue Ridge School
Elementary : Cullowhee Valley School
Elementary : Fairview School
Elementary : Scotts Creek School
Elementary : Smokey Mountain Elementary

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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.