McDowell Early College

Summary:

McDowell Early College is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Marion, North Carolina, with a student population of 225. This school stands out as a high-performing institution within the McDowell County Schools district and the state of North Carolina.

McDowell Early College consistently outperforms the district and state averages in end-of-course test scores, particularly in subjects like Biology, Math I, and Math III. For example, the school had an 84.4% proficiency rate in EOC Biology, compared to 47.3% for the district and 53.4% for the state. The school's performance is especially impressive in Math, with 92.3% proficiency in Math I and 93.9% in Math III. Additionally, McDowell Early College has been ranked among the top 50 high schools in North Carolina, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's diverse student population, with 19.11% Hispanic students, stands in contrast to the nearby McDowell Virtual Academy, which has a student population that is 86.43% White.

While McDowell Early College has a relatively high spending per student of $7,400, this investment appears to be paying off in the form of strong academic performance and resources available to students. The school's student-teacher ratio of 18.4 is higher than the nearby McDowell High School, which had a ratio of 15. Additionally, the school's growing population of economically disadvantaged students, with 42.67% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, highlights the importance of providing quality education to all students, regardless of their background.

Detail:

Public 9-12

54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 659-0411

District: McDowell County Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,400

Feeder schools for McDowell Early College:

Elementary:	Eastfield Global Magnet School
	Glenwood Elementary School
	Marion Elementary School
	Nebo Elementary School
	More...
	North Cove Elementary School
	Old Fort Elementary School
	Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
	West Marion Elementary School
Middle:	East McDowell Middle School
	West McDowell Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.4

Number of students: 225

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.8%

Hispanic:

19.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.7%

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Compare McDowell Early College to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McDowell Early College ranks better than 92.5% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked high schools in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.35. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.8%), Hispanic (19.1%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the McDowell County Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McDowell Early College is 18.4, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the McDowell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare McDowell Early College employs 12.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McDowell Early College is $7,400, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the McDowell County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McDowell Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell Early College 48^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See McDowell Early College 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

McDowell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell County Schools 115^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McDowell Early College

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Rank History for all students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	94.79	33^rd	594	94.4%
2022	93.47	38^th	621	93.9%
2023	95.78	16^th	626	97.4%
2024	93.35	48^th	640	92.5%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	95.62	40^th	544	92.6%
2023	97.77	18^th	597	97.0%
2024	96.70	34^th	613	94.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	91.45	45^th	594	92.4%
2023	94.84	17^th	588	97.1%
2024	89.33	67^th	602	88.9%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	83.77	3^rd	398	99.2%
2023	81.66	8^th	403	98.0%
2024	78.68	37^th	403	90.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	95.91	28^th	585	95.2%
2023	96.50	13^th	602	97.8%
2024	95.96	20^th	607	96.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	92.39	47^th	436	89.2%
2023	92.51	40^th	449	91.1%
2024	93.27	42^nd	454	90.7%

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

Rank History for White students at McDowell Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	92.92	32^nd	534	94.0%
2023	94.83	8^th	537	98.5%
2024	89.57	63^rd	553	88.6%

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 McDowell Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	27	4	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	33
2008	65	4	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	2	78
2009	95	8	8	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	119
2010	135	12	10	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	167
2011	145	7	7	15	0	0	14	0	188
2012	154	6	6	13	0	0	15	0	194
2013	159	5	5	12	0	0	14	0	195
2014	136	3	6	20	0	0	12	0	177
2015	149	7	10	34	0	0	12	0	212
2016	161	2	10	36	0	0	8	0	217
2017	184	2	8	48	0	0	9	0	251
2018	186	0	7	57	0	0	7	0	257
2019	207	1	4	55	1	0	7	0	275
2020	199	1	4	52	1	0	7	0	264
2021	210	2	3	53	1	0	5	0	274
2022	191	4	3	48	1	0	7	0	254
2023	166	4	3	43	1	0	8	0	225

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 McDowell Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	33	n/a	n/a	48.5
2008	78	4.0	19.5	53.9
2009	119	7.0	17.0	42
2010	167	8.0	20.8	47.9
2011	188	9.0	20.8	48.4
2012	194	10.0	19.4	39.7
2013	195	11.0	17.7	41.5
2014	177	10.0	17.7	50.8
2015	212	11.0	19.2	34.9
2016	217	11.0	19.7	45.2
2017	251	12.0	20.9	41
2018	257	13.0	19.7	34.2
2019	275	12.0	22.7	35.6
2020	264	12.2	21.6	33.3
2021	274	12.2	22.4	22.6
2022	254	11.2	22.5	21.3
2023	225	12.2	18.4	42.7

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 McDowell Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	33	n/a	n/a	48.5
2008	78	4.0	19.5	53.9
2009	119	7.0	17.0	42
2010	167	8.0	20.8	47.9
2011	188	9.0	20.8	48.4
2012	194	10.0	19.4	39.7
2013	195	11.0	17.7	41.5
2014	177	10.0	17.7	50.8
2015	212	11.0	19.2	34.9
2016	217	11.0	19.7	45.2
2017	251	12.0	20.9	41
2018	257	13.0	19.7	34.2
2019	275	12.0	22.7	35.6
2020	264	12.2	21.6	33.3
2021	274	12.2	22.4	22.6
2022	254	11.2	22.5	21.3
2023	225	12.2	18.4	42.7

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 McDowell Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$232 (3.1%)	$7,168 (96.9%)	$7,400

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McDowell 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 (McDowell Early College)	81.3	94.6	13.3%
End of Course Biology (McDowell County Schools)	61.7	45.8	15.9%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (McDowell Early College)	90.9	95.6	4.7%
End of Course English II (McDowell County Schools)	67.8	55.9	11.9%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (McDowell Early College)	75	97.2	22.2%
End of Course Math I (McDowell County Schools)	45.5	45.9	0.4%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (McDowell Early College)	91	98.3	7.3%
End of Course Math III (McDowell County Schools)	54.6	54.9	0.3%
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	275	225	18.2%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	55	43	21.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	207	166	19.8%
Two or More Races	7	8	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	35.6%	42.7%	7%

Schools Near McDowell 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
McDowell Early College	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	225	12	18.4	42.7%	166 (73.8%)	4 (1.8%)	43 (19.1%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	93.3	48^th of 640 public high schools	92.5%		95.8	16^th of 626 public high schools	97.4%	32	84.4	97.3	92.3	93.9						$7,400	$232	$7,168
McDowell Academy for Innovation	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	113	8	14.1	51.3%	75 (66.4%)	7 (6.2%)	26 (23.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.5%)	96.4	7^th of 640 public high schools	98.9%		94.5	32^nd of 626 public high schools	94.9%	25	100.0	97.3	96.2	100.0						$24,717	$228	$24,489
McDowell High School	Public	9-12	600 McDowell High School Dr	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7920	1,416	94	15.0	60.0%	1,055 (74.5%)	42 (3.0%)	230 (16.2%)	13 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	71 (5.0%)	32.1	429^th of 640 public high schools	33.0%		31.5	423^rd of 626 public high schools	32.4%	6	38.0	51.6	33.7	50.9						$9,698	$1,036	$8,662
McDowell Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(828) 652-3390	140	7	20.0	26.4%	121 (86.4%)	9 (6.4%)	5 (3.6%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	12.5	573^rd of 640 public high schools	10.5%		10.4	578^th of 626 public high schools	7.7%	5	9.1	44.4	7.7		16.7	16.7	18.2	47.1	58.8
Freedom High	Public	9-12	511 Independence Boulevard	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-1310	1,414	74	19.2	63.6%	670 (47.4%)	109 (7.7%)	473 (33.5%)	58 (4.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (7.3%)	37.9	388^th of 640 public high schools	39.4%		44.9	324^th of 626 public high schools	48.2%	64	48.5	49.6	34.5	57.2						$8,511	$796	$7,716
Burke Middle College	Public	11-12	1001 Burkemont Ave	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 448-3175	119	3	39.6	33.6%	59 (49.6%)	4 (3.4%)	19 (16.0%)	31 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)								(n/a)				79.5						$4,804	$268	$4,536
Robert L. Patton High School	Public	9-12	701 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-3000	752	40	18.8	54.8%	526 (69.9%)	16 (2.1%)	151 (20.1%)	20 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.9%)	66	200^th of 640 public high schools	68.8%		56.6	249^th of 626 public high schools	60.2%	49	71.3	69.2	58.3	61.5						$9,266	$744	$8,523
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	758	54	14.0	99.6%	543 (71.6%)	90 (11.9%)	66 (8.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.4%)	41.9	359^th of 640 public high schools	43.9%		50.3	287^th of 626 public high schools	54.2%	72	59.6	50.2	32.8	56.4						$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Mayland Early College	Public	9-12	264 Mayland Dr	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-2590	119	5	23.8	39.5%	99 (83.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.1%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)	84.6	113^th of 640 public high schools	82.3%		94.4	34^th of 626 public high schools	94.6%	79	82.9	81.8	95.0	71.4						$7,370	$209	$7,160

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell Early College

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Early College?

Students at McDowell Early College are 74% White, 19% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend McDowell Early College?

In the 2022-23 school year, 225 students attended McDowell Early College.

Is McDowell Early College a good school?

Yes. McDowell Early College ranks in the top 7.5% of North Carolina high schools.

What schools feed into McDowell Early College?

McDowell Early College is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Eastfield Global Magnet School
Elementary : Glenwood Elementary School
Elementary : Marion Elementary School
Elementary : Nebo Elementary School
Elementary : North Cove Elementary School
Elementary : Old Fort Elementary School
Elementary : Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
Elementary : West Marion Elementary School
Middle : East McDowell Middle School
Middle : West McDowell Middle School

What district is McDowell Early College in?

McDowell 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.