Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in McDowell County, NC

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its North Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

5,613

Students

5-star school

Top rankedMcDowell Academy for Innovation25^th of 662 North Carolina high schools

▲

Biggest riser

West Marion Elementary School up 231 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

East McDowell Middle School 11.2 students per teacher

✦

Newly ranked this year

The Summit Academy

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				EOC Biology (2026)	EOC English II (2026)	EOC Math I (2026)	EOC Math III (2026)	EOG Mathematics (2026)						EOG Reading (2026)						EOG Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	392	35	11.2	99.2%	273 (69.6%)	16 (4.1%)	77 (19.6%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	34.1	521^st of 778 public middle schools	33.0%		31.6	529^th of 773 public middle schools	31.6%	8								52.0	50.4	37.4				46.4	44.4	44.0		63.7	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158
Eastfield Global Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	170 Eastfield School Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(828) 652-3730	279	21	13.2	97.8%	161 (57.7%)	6 (2.2%)	99 (35.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.7%)	46	802^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.2%		56.1	632^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	57.6%	170					41.0	73.2	70.7				28.2	51.2	43.9				85.4		$11,548	$1,932	$9,616
Glenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1545 Old Hwy 221 South	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 738-4220	435	27	15.9	99.3%	364 (83.7%)	5 (1.1%)	28 (6.4%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.9%)	43.6	852^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	42.9%		34.9	1004^th of 1490 public elementary schools	32.6%	152					53.1	68.3	53.4				46.9	60.3	46.6				65.5		$10,691	$1,210	$9,481
Marion Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	209 Robert Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 652-2141	333	23	14.6	99.1%	222 (66.7%)	14 (4.2%)	68 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.1%)	71.6	385^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.2%		62.2	528^th of 1490 public elementary schools	64.6%	143					86.4	71.4	74.6				65.9	71.4	58.2				65.7		$9,997	$1,489	$8,507
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	1,379	88	15.6	98.8%	1,003 (72.7%)	50 (3.6%)	221 (16.0%)	13 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (6.5%)	38	420^th of 662 public high schools	36.6%		29	465^th of 641 public high schools	27.5%	45	53.9	52.3	37.1	68.4															$9,698	$1,036	$8,662
Nebo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	254 Nebo School Road	Nebo	28761	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 652-4737	354	22	15.8	99.2%	272 (76.8%)	8 (2.3%)	51 (14.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	51.6	705^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.7%		47.6	788^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.1%	83					70.8	53.7	53.4				60.0	53.7	58.6				65.5		$10,949	$1,855	$9,095
North Cove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 American Thread Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 756-4342	230	16	14.4	98.7%	174 (75.7%)	2 (0.9%)	37 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.4%)	35.3	998^th of 1492 public elementary schools	33.1%		25.3	1176^th of 1490 public elementary schools	21.1%	178					60.0	36.2	73.9				40.0	44.7	47.8				82.6		$11,425	$1,369	$10,056
Old Fort Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	128 Mauney Avenue	Old Fort	28762	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 668-7646	360	24	15.3	95.0%	302 (83.9%)	9 (2.5%)	23 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.9%)	78.7	256^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.8%		68.4	417^th of 1490 public elementary schools	72.0%	161					77.2	69.6	72.3				68.4	63.0	74.5				85.1		$11,403	$1,803	$9,600
Pleasant Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	100 John Roach Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 724-4422	289	21	13.4	99.0%	214 (74.0%)	3 (1.0%)	48 (16.6%)	5 (1.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.9%)	28.6	1123^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	24.7%		48.2	777^th of 1490 public elementary schools	47.9%	346					66.7	40.0	46.3				40.5	48.6	41.5				58.5		$10,413	$1,532	$8,881
West Marion Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 Marler Road	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 738-3353	390	28	14.1	99.2%	298 (76.4%)	12 (3.1%)	50 (12.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.9%)	55.8	643^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	56.9%		42.3	874^th of 1490 public elementary schools	41.3%	231					65.5	63.0	70.2				44.8	54.3	57.4				80.9		$11,463	$1,657	$9,807
West McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-3390	550	35	15.5	99.5%	413 (75.1%)	17 (3.1%)	88 (16.0%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	36.9	504^th of 778 public middle schools	35.2%		43.7	444^th of 773 public middle schools	42.6%	60								57.5	44.3	50.0				45.2	48.3	45.5		59.0	$9,132	$764	$8,368
McDowell Early College	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	241	12	19.7	98.8%	184 (76.3%)	5 (2.1%)	40 (16.6%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	88.9	89^th of 662 public high schools	86.6%		93.2	48^th of 641 public high schools	92.5%	41	94.4	93.3	70.6	564.1															$7,400	$232	$7,168
Foothills Community School	Public, Magnet	6-8	176 Lukin Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 652-1040	200	11	18.0	98.5%	164 (82.0%)	4 (2.0%)	22 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	84.7	94^th of 778 public middle schools	87.9%		83.8	105^th of 773 public middle schools	86.4%	11								67.1	71.9	78.5				69.7	75.0	82.8		84.4	$6,490	$276	$6,214
McDowell Academy for Innovation	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	158	7	22.5	98.1%	108 (68.4%)	5 (3.2%)	38 (24.1%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	93.4	25^th of 662 public high schools	96.2%		92.8	53^rd of 641 public high schools	91.7%	28	100.0	95.8	86.7	100.0															$24,717	$228	$24,489
The Summit Academy	Public	6-12	75 Crawford St	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(828) 652-1266	23	4	5.7	87.0%	20 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.3%)	1.9	651^st of 662 public high schools	1.7%					(n/a)	15.4	14.3	536.7	537.6						< 5%						10.0

SchoolDigger rankings lists for North Carolina:

Elementary Schools Middle Schools High Schools Districts Cities

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.