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Enka High

Q: Is Enka High a good school?

Enka High ranks 387 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

387^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 40% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Enka High is a public high school located in Candler, North Carolina, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,037 students. It is part of the Buncombe County Schools district, which is ranked 125 out of 242 districts in North Carolina and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Enka High has seen a steady decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from a high of 90 out of 514 North Carolina high schools in 2018-2019 (4-star rating) to 387 out of 641 in 2024-2025 (2-star rating). The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Enka High performing well for gifted and talented students but struggling with other subgroups, such as African American students and students with disabilities. Additionally, the school consistently underperforms in math compared to the state and district averages.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Reynolds High, Roberson High, and Erwin High, which are all part of the Buncombe County Schools district, Enka High generally performs lower, with higher rankings, better test scores, and higher graduation rates. However, the school's performance for gifted and talented students is a relative strength, suggesting it has the potential to improve its overall academic outcomes with the right strategies and support.

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 — 60th percentile in 2015 → 40th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (48% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg54%

North Carolina avg53%

387^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 9High Schools in the Buncombe County Schools

125^th of 242Buncombe 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 (2025)75th percentile+35 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)71st percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)55th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)54th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2025)39th percentile~ school

Male (2025)36th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)36th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)33rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile-25 vs school

African American (2025)2nd percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III61%-5 vs state

English II57%~ state avg

Biology46%~ state avg

Math I23%-11 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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2★0

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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

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOC Biology (2025)	EOC English II (2025)	EOC Math I (2025)	EOC Math III (2025)	EOG Mathematics (2025)				EOG Reading (2025)				EOG Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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%)	38.7	387^th of 641 public high schools	39.6%		42.5	355^th of 640 public high schools	44.5%	32	46.2	57.2	23.1	61.0											$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%)	55.3	261^st of 641 public high schools	59.3%		59.9	234^th of 640 public high schools	63.4%	27	56.8	77.8	25.4	65.8	45.2	66.3	50.0	31.3	67.1	56.8	61.6	63.6	64.4	74.7
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%)	17.7	541^st of 641 public high schools	15.6%		19.8	516^th of 640 public high schools	19.4%	25	32.5	39.3	10.4	45.9											$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%)	27.1	480^th of 641 public high schools	25.1%					(n/a)	27.3		33.3												$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%)	90.6	71^st of 641 public high schools	88.9%		88.6	94^th of 640 public high schools	85.3%	23	80.4	94.3	66.7	96.4											$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%)	53.4	270^th of 641 public high schools	57.9%		45.6	327^th of 640 public high schools	48.9%	57	55.7	69.8	32.6	62.1											$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%)	76.9	145^th of 641 public high schools	77.4%		64.4	209^th of 640 public high schools	67.3%	64	68.4	81.1	52.6	79.8											$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%)								(n/a)	92.2														$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%)	56.2	255^th of 641 public high schools	60.2%		53.3	280^th of 640 public high schools	56.3%	25	55.0	70.2	34.3	68.4											$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%)	79.3	137^th of 641 public high schools	78.6%		76.6	147^th of 640 public high schools	77.0%	10	65.0	70.8	72.7	88.9											$9,758	$969	$8,789

Frequently Asked Questions about Enka High

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.

Is Enka High a good school?

Enka High ranks 387^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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

What district is Enka High in?

Buncombe County Schools

How many students attend Enka High?

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

Rate Enka High!

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Schools in Candler, NC

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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.