Enrollment
241
High
DISTRICT 380 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370294002809
McDowell Early College
54 College Drive, Marion, NC 28752 · (828) 659-0411 · McDowell County
GRADES 09–13HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL241 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 92% of North Carolina public high schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded North Carolina public high schools
Student : Teacher
19.8:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.8:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
238 students
DISTRICT 96% · STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 51 | 21% |
| Grade 10 | 41 | 17% |
| Grade 11 | 38 | 16% |
| Grade 12 | 63 | 26% |
Student demographics
39%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)Math
83.8%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 84 of every 100 students at this school do math at grade level. The North Carolina average is about 52 of 100.
Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of NC schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
80.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.7%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+32.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 81% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 32 points, placing it in North Carolina's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like McDowell Early College
McDowell Early College's state test result (80.8% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell Early College this school | 241 | 98.8% | 80.8% |
| Wilkes Early College High School Wilkesboro | 265 | 98.9% | 73.5% |
| Andrews High Andrews | 229 | 97.8% | 39.5% |
| Tri-County Early College High Murphy | 153 | 96.1% | 74.0% |
| Cape Hatteras Secondary School Buxton | 364 | 99.2% | 57.3% |
| Madison Early College High Marshall | 270 | 98.9% | 76.7% |
Matched among North Carolina high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where McDowell Early College ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 80.8% | #47 of 468 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 83.8% | #32 of 464 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 241 | #445 of 598 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.8:1 | #293 of 473 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.8% | #420 of 474 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 98.8% | #227 of 527 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -6.2% | #180 of 277 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
241
-33 (-12%) vs 2020
+28% since 2010-11, when it was 188
Student : Teacher
19.8:1
was 22.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 241 | 12.2 | 19.8:1 | 99% (238) |
| 2023-24 | 229 | 11.1 | 20.6:1 | 99% (226) |
| 2022-23 | 225 | 12.2 | 18.4:1 | 43% (96) |
| 2020-21 | 274 | 12 | 22.8:1 | 23% (62) |
| 2017-18 | 257 | 13 | 19.8:1 | 34% (88) |
| 2015-16 | 217 | 11 | 19.7:1 | 45% (98) |
| 2010-11 | 188 | 9 | 20.9:1 | 48% (91) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for McDowell Early College.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (257 to 241); teachers down 6% (13 to 12.2).
About McDowell Early College
Marion, North Carolina, is home to McDowell Early College, a very small high school. There are 241 students enrolled, covering grades 9 through 13. Across high schools in North Carolina, the average enrollment is about 761.
Federal data list 16 schools in McDowell County Schools, with 5,712 students enrolled.
More than half of the students at McDowell Early College are White (76%). Beyond that, enrollment is 17% Hispanic, 3% multiracial, and 2% Black. In McDowell County overall, about 88% of residents are White. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 39%.
Classroom staffing at McDowell Early College totals 12.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 19.8:1. The average for high schools in North Carolina is about 19.6:1. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at McDowell Early College is about 99%. Public schools in McDowell County average a similar 98%.
McDowell Early College holds an A allk12 Grade, placing it above 92% of North Carolina public high schools.
McDowell Early College beats its predicted average proficiency rate across its state test results by 32.1 points (80.8% versus 48.7%), a top-10% result in North Carolina on BeatsExpectations.
For the population of McDowell County, the median household earns about $57,168 a year, about 18% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 10%. McDowell Early College shares McDowell County with 15 other public schools.
McDowell Academy for Innovation, less than a tenth of a mile away, is the closest public school. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. Ranked by average proficiency, McDowell Early College places 2nd out of 8 schools in its immediate area.
McDowell Early College falls in the Rural: Fringe locale category, used for schools in rural territory close to an urban area.
The 2020-21-to-2024-25 change in enrollment was a 12% decline, from 274 to 241. The ratio of students to teachers went from 22.8:1 to 19.8:1 over the same years.
This page is set up for the McDowell Early College community to discuss special education services, counseling, and support programs. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
McDowell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
44,817
Census ACS
Median income
$57,168
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
16
5,712 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in McDowell County Schools
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- West McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 550 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- West Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 390 students
- Old Fort Elementary SchoolElementary · 360 students
Other schools in Marion
- McDowell High SchoolHigh · 1,379 students
- West McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 550 students
- Glenwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 435 students
- East McDowell Middle SchoolMiddle · 392 students
- West Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 390 students
- Marion Elementary SchoolElementary · 333 students
Nearby schools
- McDowell Academy for Innovation0.0 mi · 158
- Eastfield Global Magnet School2.5 mi · 279
- East McDowell Middle School2.9 mi · 392
- The Summit Academy3.1 mi · 23
- Glenwood Elementary School3.1 mi · 435
- Marion Elementary School3.5 mi · 333
Frequently asked questions
About McDowell Early CollegeHow large is McDowell Early College?
McDowell Early College enrolls approximately 241 students in grades 09-13.
What grades does McDowell Early College serve?
McDowell Early College serves grades 09-13.
What is the student-teacher ratio at McDowell Early College?
The student-to-teacher ratio at McDowell Early College is approximately 19.8:1 (12 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at McDowell Early College?
Student demographics at McDowell Early College are roughly 76% White, 17% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Is McDowell Early College public or private?
McDowell Early College is a public K-12 school, overseen by McDowell County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.