Enrollment
153
High
DISTRICT 197 · STATE 761
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOLS·NCES 370078002892
Tri-County Early College High
Tri-County Early College High, Murphy, NC 28906 · (828) 837-6775 · Cherokee County
GRADES 09–13HIGH43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL153 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 86% of North Carolina public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats 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
18.5:1
8 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.4:1 · STATE 19.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
96%
147 students
DISTRICT 97% · 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 | 40 | 26% |
| Grade 10 | 48 | 31% |
| Grade 11 | 32 | 21% |
| Grade 12 | 30 | 20% |
Student demographics
44%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 30% · 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
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
NC EOG / EOC 2024-25 . % Grade Level Proficient (Level 3+)English Language Arts
90.5%
NC avg 50.9%
Math
62.5%
NC avg 52.2%
What this means: On the NC EOG / EOC, North Carolina's statewide test, about 91 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 63 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 · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of NC schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
74.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.5%
based on NC schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+24.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 74% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 50% 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 25 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 Tri-County Early College High
Tri-County Early College High's state test result (74.0% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-County Early College High this school | 153 | 96.1% | 74.0% |
| Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy Lexington | 167 | 98.2% | 61.1% |
| Stanly Early College High Albemarle | 188 | 98.4% | 87.2% |
| Jackson Co Early College Sylva | 113 | 97.3% | 60.4% |
| Alexander Early College Taylorsville | 172 | 98.3% | 76.7% |
| McDowell Early College Marion | 241 | 98.8% | 80.8% |
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 Tri-County Early College High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 74.0% | #77 of 468 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 62.5% | #80 of 464 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 90.5% | #31 of 448 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 153 | #507 of 598 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 96.1% | #335 of 527 |
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
153
+5 (+3%) vs 2020
+46% since 2010-11, when it was 105
Student : Teacher
18.5:1
was 18.5:1
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 | 153 | 8.3 | 18.5:1 | 96% (147) |
| 2023-24 | 153 | 10.8 | 14.1:1 | 98% (150) |
| 2022-23 | 129 | 8.3 | 15.5:1 | 62% (80) |
| 2020-21 | 148 | 8 | 18.5:1 | 29% (43) |
| 2017-18 | 140 | 7 | 20.0:1 | 31% (43) |
| 2015-16 | 141 | 6 | 23.5:1 | 38% (53) |
| 2010-11 | 105 | 6 | 17.5:1 | 33% (35) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Tri-County Early College High.
Since 2017-18: students up 9% (140 to 153); teachers up 18% (7 to 8.3).
About Tri-County Early College High
Tri-County Early College High is a public high school run by Cherokee County Schools in Murphy, North Carolina. A federal count lists 153 students at the school, in grades 9 through 13. Average enrollment for high schools in North Carolina is about 761, so this school runs 80% smaller than that.
Tri-County Early College High is part of a district of 13 schools: Cherokee County Schools, with 2,992 students.
A majority of students at Tri-County Early College High, 73%, are White. The next largest groups are 16% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 3% Black, and 3% Asian. The school's White share is 17 points below the 91% share among Cherokee County residents. Tri-County Early College High has a diversity index of 44%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Tri-County Early College High's 8.3 full-time-equivalent teachers put its ratio at 18.5:1. That ratio is under the 19.6:1 average for high schools in North Carolina. The school's rate of free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 96%. Across public schools in Cherokee County, the average is about the same, 98%.
Measured against North Carolina public high schools, Tri-County Early College High receives an A. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
BeatsExpectations places Tri-County Early College High in the top 10% of North Carolina schools. The measure fits a line through proficiency and free or reduced-price lunch share for each state, and this school sits 24.5 points above it (74.0% actual, 49.5% predicted).
In Cherokee County (population about 29,562), median household income is about $53,628, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 24%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. A total of 13 public schools operate in Cherokee County, serving about 2,992 students.
Nearby, The Oaks Academy is less than a tenth of a mile away. Tri-County Early College High is one of several public schools in the area, with 6 others within five miles. Local comparison: Tri-County Early College High ranks 1st of 8 nearby schools, at 74.0% versus a 56.9% average.
NCES assigns Tri-County Early College High the locale Rural: Remote, meaning in rural territory far from an urban area.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count climbed from 148 to 153.
Discussion on this page can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Cherokee County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
29,562
Census ACS
Median income
$53,628
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
13
2,992 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Cherokee County Schools
- Murphy ElementaryElementary · 467 students
- Murphy HighHigh · 424 students
- Murphy MiddleMiddle · 353 students
- Andrews ElementaryElementary · 330 students
- Ranger ElementaryElementary · 264 students
- Andrews HighHigh · 229 students
Other schools in Murphy
- Murphy ElementaryElementary · 467 students
- Murphy HighHigh · 424 students
- Murphy MiddleMiddle · 353 students
- Ranger ElementaryElementary · 264 students
- Peachtree ElementaryElementary · 166 students
- Hiwassee Dam HighHigh · 137 students
Nearby schools
- The Oaks Academy0.0 mi · 43
- Peachtree Elementary2.2 mi · 166
- Murphy Middle3.6 mi · 353
- Murphy High3.7 mi · 424
- Murphy Elementary3.9 mi · 467
- Martins Creek Elementary4.3 mi · 137
Frequently asked questions
About Tri-County Early College HighWhat is the total enrollment at Tri-County Early College High?
Tri-County Early College High enrolls approximately 153 students in grades 09-13.
Is Tri-County Early College High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Tri-County Early College High is a high school covering grades 09-13.
How many teachers does Tri-County Early College High have?
Tri-County Early College High employs 8 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.5:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Tri-County Early College High?
At Tri-County Early College High, the student body is approximately 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is Tri-County Early College High public or private?
Tri-County Early College High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Cherokee County Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.