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Schools›North Carolina›Marion
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370294001179

McDowell High School

600 McDowell High School Dr, Marion, NC 28752 · (828) 652-7920 · McDowell County
GRADES 09–12HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,379 STUDENTS
Enrollment
1,379
High
DISTRICT 380 · STATE 761
Student : Teacher
15.7:1
88 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.8:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
1,362 students
DISTRICT 96% · STATE 82%
Community
1
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

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 934825%
Grade 1036526%
Grade 1137327%
Grade 1229321%
Student demographics
44%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 71% · US 70%
White
1,00373%
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 42% · US 43%
Hispanic
22116%
DISTRICT 16% · STATE 22% · US 30%
Black
504%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 25% · US 15%
Asian
131%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 4% · US 6%
Two+
896%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
20%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 1% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
10%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 0%
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
Male
74254%
Female
63746%

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Test scores

NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)
English Language Arts
43.4%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
21.5%
NC avg 52.2%

What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 22 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all North Carolina schools, those numbers are about 51 and 52.

Source: NC EOG / EOC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
35.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.7%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-13.5pp
below demographic expectation

What this means: About 35% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for North Carolina schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among North Carolina's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Where McDowell High School ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn North Carolina
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
35.2%#351 of 468
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
21.5%#363 of 464
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
43.4%#355 of 448
Enrollment
ranked largest first
1,379#108 of 598
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
15.7:1#89 of 473
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
44.0%#396 of 474
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
98.8%#224 of 527
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-12.7%#104 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.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
1,379
-15 (-1%) vs 2020
-4% since 1990-91, when it was 1,437
Student : Teacher
15.7:1
was 14.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-251,3798815.7:199% (1,362)
2023-241,38490.915.2:199% (1,377)
2022-231,41694.315.0:160% (850)
2020-211,3949514.7:142% (582)
2017-181,57999.215.9:150% (782)
2015-161,66310116.5:155% (916)
2010-111,3209913.3:151% (677)
2000-011,2209113.4:110% (118)
1990-911,4379615.0:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for McDowell High School.

About McDowell High School

McDowell High School, a large high school, is located in Marion, North Carolina. In all, 1,379 students attend the school in grades 9 through 12. That puts enrollment 81% above the 761-student average for high schools in North Carolina.

McDowell County Schools includes 16 schools. Together they enroll 5,712 students.

The share of White students at McDowell High School is 73%, a majority. It is also 16% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 4% Black. For comparison, the population of McDowell County is roughly 88% White. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 44, compared with 70 nationally.

For every teacher at McDowell High School, there are about 15.7 students; the school has 88 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for high schools in North Carolina, 19.6:1, is higher. There are 1,362 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 99% of enrollment. That is in line with the 98% average for public schools in McDowell County.

McDowell High School's average proficiency rate across its state test results of 35.2% is 13.5 points below the 48.7% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.

In 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%. Across McDowell County, 16 public schools serve about 5,712 students.

Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, West McDowell Middle School, is about 0.3 miles. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Of the 7 nearby schools with scores, including this one, McDowell High School is 7th on average proficiency.

On the NCES locale scale, the school is Rural: Fringe.

Compared with 2020-21, when it had 1,394 students, enrollment in 2024-25 was about the same at 1,379. There were more students per teacher in 2024-25 (15.7:1) than in 2020-21 (14.7:1).

This page is set up for the McDowell High School 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 profile
Population
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

School name
McDowell High School
District
McDowell County Schools
Address
600 McDowell High School Dr, Marion, NC 28752
Phone
(828) 652-7920
County
McDowell County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
1,379
Teachers (FTE)
88
Student–teacher ratio
15.7:1
Free and reduced lunch
1,362 (99%)
Locale
41-Rural: Fringe
NCES ID
370294001179
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in McDowell County Schools
Other schools in Marion
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About McDowell High School
What is the total enrollment at McDowell High School?
McDowell High School enrolls approximately 1,379 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does McDowell High School serve?
McDowell High School serves grades 09-12.
How many teachers does McDowell High School have?
McDowell High School employs 88 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.7:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at McDowell High School?
At McDowell High School, the student body is approximately 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 4% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees McDowell High School?
McDowell High School is overseen by McDowell County Schools in McDowell County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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