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

Enka High

Q: Is Enka High a good school?

Enka High ranks 466 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

466^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 30% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Enka High School in Candler, North Carolina, is a traditional public high school serving about 1,051 students in grades 9–12 within Buncombe County Schools. The school has seen a dramatic ranking decline in recent years, falling from the 82nd percentile statewide in 2018–2019 to the 30th percentile in 2025–2026, placing it near the bottom among traditional high schools in the Asheville-Candler area. Nearby schools like Reynolds High and Roberson High rank in the 61st and 62nd percentiles, while Pisgah High from Haywood County sits at the 76th percentile. Only Erwin High ranks lower than Enka in the local area.

Academically, Enka now trails both its district and the state in every core End-of-Course subject, with math as the clearest warning sign. Only 21.4% of Enka students were proficient in Math I, compared to 42.1% statewide and 51.0% at Roberson High. Similarly, proficiency is below averages in Biology, English II, and Math III. This is a sharp reversal from 2022–2023, when Enka outperformed the state in all four subjects. The school’s graduation rate remains a relative strength at 90.1%, above the state average of 88.8%, and chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically from 36.2% to 15.2%, now better than the district rate. However, given that only about one in five students is proficient in Math I, this gap between graduation rates and academic benchmarks raises questions about college and career readiness.

Equity gaps are particularly concerning and have widened rapidly. Special Education students at Enka now rank in the 1st percentile statewide, down from the 43rd percentile just a few years ago, while English Language Learner outcomes fell from the 54th to the 8th percentile in a single year. Hispanic and multi-racial students also rank in the single digits or low teens, and even the school’s largest demographic group, White students, ranks in the 20th percentile. In contrast, Gifted and Talented students score around the 61st percentile. With attendance no longer the main obstacle, the two priorities for Enka are rebuilding math instruction and creating more stable, effective support systems for its most vulnerable student populations, especially when peer schools in the same district serve similar socioeconomic communities with far stronger results.

1,051

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,892

Per pupil spending ?

99.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

475 Enka Lake Road
Candler, NC 28715

(828) 670-5000

District: Buncombe County Schools

Feeder schools for Enka High:

Elementary:	Candler Elementary
	Hominy Valley Elementary
	Pisgah Elementary
	Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
Middle:	Enka Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.6%

Hispanic:

25.3%

African American:

3.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Enka High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2016 → 30th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (49% vs 60% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

466^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6High Schools in the Buncombe County Schools

109^th of 246Buncombe County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.9	466 of 662	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.7	387 of 641	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	355 of 640	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.7	229 of 626	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	246 of 621	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.5	216 of 594	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.9	90 of 514	82.5%	★★★★☆
2018	61.7	141 of 469	69.9%	★★★★☆
2017	44.8	216 of 476	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	39.7	235 of 507	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.6	212 of 531	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	25.7	311 of 451	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.2	272 of 505	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.7	240 of 502	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	42.9	339 of 506	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	53.1	259 of 499	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.1	215 of 490	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.2	180 of 477	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.3	124 of 453	72.6%	★★★★☆
2006	63.9	124 of 431	71.2%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	246 of 450	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	10.6	429 of 440	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	367 of 437	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.7	154 of 359	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	43.9	147 of 330	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.5	139 of 334	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.9	187 of 364	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.6	301 of 349	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.9	266 of 289	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	45.2	126 of 273	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	39.2	141 of 262	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	151 of 226	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.1	34 of 156	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	87.2	10 of 124	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	59.4	34 of 173	80.3%	★★★★☆
2018	44.2	67 of 147	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	477 of 629	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.1	374 of 610	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	362 of 602	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.8	217 of 588	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	235 of 594	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	148 of 475	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.5	76 of 475	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.2	110 of 449	75.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	157 of 407	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	74.1	105 of 412	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	59.4	206 of 403	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	76.0	83 of 403	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	127 of 398	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.1	156 of 337	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.7	67 of 325	79.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.2	429 of 474	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	32.9	309 of 462	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.9	322 of 454	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.9	161 of 449	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.5	117 of 436	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	56.8	76 of 370	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	62.6	58 of 354	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	40.2	186 of 340	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.8	436 of 620	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.4	390 of 606	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	319 of 613	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.3	171 of 597	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	147 of 544	73.0%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	68 of 432	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	68.8	46 of 446	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	63.4	79 of 424	81.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	433 of 624	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.8	382 of 601	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	320 of 607	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.4	245 of 602	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.6	225 of 585	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.0	135 of 481	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	109 of 488	77.7%	★★★★☆
2018	54.2	182 of 463	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.7	232 of 265	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	63.5	57 of 195	70.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.2	55 of 185	70.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.0	369 of 372	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.2	302 of 352	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.3	198 of 349	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	441 of 551	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.4	402 of 542	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.4	369 of 553	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.4	263 of 537	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.6	287 of 534	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.5	179 of 439	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.8	124 of 444	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	51.9	191 of 427	55.3%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2026)61st percentile+32 vs school

Disabled (2022)55th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2026)45th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2026)31st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile~ school

Female (2026)24th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)12th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)8th percentile-22 vs school

Special Education (2026)1st percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III58%-11 vs state

English II58%-7 vs state

Biology54%-5 vs state

Math I21%-21 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Enka High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Great variety of career-technical focused classes and opportunities for extracurricular activities! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Outstanding arts program. Many outstanding teachers on the staff. Close Quote

Schools Near Enka High

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 5th Grade	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th 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
Enka High	Public	9-12	475 Enka Lake Road	Candler	28715	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 670-5000	1,051	64	16.4	99.7%	710 (67.6%)	40 (3.8%)	266 (25.3%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	26 (2.5%)	31.9	466^th of 662 public high schools	29.6%		38.7	387^th of 641 public high schools	39.6%	79	53.8	57.7	21.4	58.2											$9,892	$617	$9,276
The Franklin School of Innovation	Public, Charter	5-12	61 Innovation Dr	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	The Franklin School of Innovation	Yes	No	No	Yes	(828) 318-8140	717	56	12.9	37.8%	567 (79.1%)	25 (3.5%)	73 (10.2%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.3%)	55.1	285^th of 662 public high schools	56.9%		55.3	261^st of 641 public high schools	59.3%	24	63.8	74.7	34.8	75.7	41.0	65.7	58.6	31.9	57.8	61.8	57.6	71.0	57.3	68.1
Erwin High	Public	9-12	60 Lees Creek Road	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4251	1,013	69	14.6	99.7%	481 (47.5%)	94 (9.3%)	359 (35.4%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	23 (2.3%)	47 (4.6%)	15.4	582^nd of 662 public high schools	12.1%		17.7	541^st of 641 public high schools	15.6%	41	35.7	40.7	23.4	46.8											$10,603	$744	$9,859
Center for Career Innovation	Public	9-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	41	4	10.2	43.9%	27 (65.9%)	3 (7.3%)	9 (22.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.9%)								(n/a)															$10,465	$251	$10,214
Early College	Public	9-12	340 Victoria Road	Asheville	28801	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 232-4123	271	11	24.8	98.9%	138 (50.9%)	10 (3.7%)	110 (40.6%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	7 (2.6%)	89.2	83^rd of 662 public high schools	87.5%		90.6	71^st of 641 public high schools	88.9%	12	91.7	88.2	74.2	100.0											$7,736	$216	$7,520
Asheville High	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2500	1,221	89	13.7	41.3%	804 (65.8%)	173 (14.2%)	121 (9.9%)	12 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	19 (1.6%)	90 (7.4%)	57.2	272^nd of 662 public high schools	58.9%		53.4	270^th of 641 public high schools	57.9%	2	65.5	78.3	29.5	71.1											$14,811	$688	$14,123
Silsa	Public	9-12	419 McDowell Street	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Asheville City Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 350-2700	332	14	23.9	39.2%	214 (64.5%)	64 (19.3%)	35 (10.5%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.2%)	67.2	204^th of 662 public high schools	69.2%		76.9	145^th of 641 public high schools	77.4%	59	69.4	86.2	47.5	76.7											$7,028	$199	$6,830
Nesbitt Discovery Academy	Public	9-12	175 Bingham Rd Ste 10	Asheville	28806	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 271-4521	372	17	21.8	98.7%	307 (82.5%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.3%)	16 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.2%)	94.4	12^th of 662 public high schools	98.2%					(n/a)	98.8	100.0	88.9	99.9											$7,222	$451	$6,771
Roberson High	Public	9-12	250 Overlook Road	Asheville	28803	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 654-1765	1,479	86	17.2	99.7%	756 (51.1%)	179 (12.1%)	382 (25.8%)	43 (2.9%)	4 (0.3%)	8 (0.5%)	107 (7.2%)	60.3	252^nd of 662 public high schools	61.9%		56.2	255^th of 641 public high schools	60.2%	3	64.3	72.7	51.0	75.8											$10,511	$1,345	$9,166
Pisgah High	Public	9-12	1 Black Bear Drive	Canton	28716	Haywood County	Haywood County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 646-3440	859	40	21.4	99.7%	702 (81.7%)	11 (1.3%)	111 (12.9%)	6 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	24 (2.8%)	75.3	160^th of 662 public high schools	75.8%		79.3	137^th of 641 public high schools	78.6%	23	70.1	76.6	76.3	86.1											$9,758	$969	$8,789

Frequently Asked Questions about Enka High

What schools feed into Enka High?

Enka High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Candler Elementary
Elementary : Hominy Valley Elementary
Elementary : Pisgah Elementary
Elementary : Sand Hill-Venable Elementary
Middle : Enka Middle

How many students attend Enka High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,051 students attended Enka High.

Is Enka High a good school?

Enka High ranks 466^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Enka High in?

Buncombe County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Enka High?

Students at Enka High are 68% White, 25% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Enka High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Candler, NC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Enka High!

Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 2, 2026

2025–26 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 2, 2026

2016–17 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 3, 2025

2024–25 EOC & EOG test scoresSep 3, 2025

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.