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Tri-County Early College High

Q: Is Tri-County Early College High a good school?

Tri-County Early College High ranks 117 th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

117^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 82% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Tri-County Early College High, a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Murphy, North Carolina, stands out as a high-performing institution within the Cherokee County Schools district. With a student population of 153, this school has consistently ranked among the top 30% of high schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Tri-County Early College High's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, as it consistently outperforms the district and state in end-of-course (EOC) test scores across subjects like Biology, English II, Math I, and Math III. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school had a 90.5% proficiency rate in EOC English II, compared to 58.3% for the district and 59.6% for the state. Additionally, the school maintains high 4-year graduation rates, ranging from 86.9% to 94.6% over the past 3 years, significantly higher than the 87.7% district-wide rate.

As an early college high school, Tri-County Early College High provides students with the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school, giving them a head start on their postsecondary education. Despite the school's proximity to other high schools in the district, such as Hiwassee Dam High, Andrews High, and Murphy High, it consistently outperforms these nearby schools in academic metrics and overall school rankings, making it a model for other schools to emulate.

153

Students ?

18.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,830

Per pupil spending ?

96.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

Tri-County Early College High
Murphy, NC 28906

(828) 837-6775

District: Cherokee County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.2%

Hispanic:

15.7%

Two or more races:

5.2%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 70th percentile in 2021 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (77% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of North Carolina high schools

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (87%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg52%

North Carolina avg53%

117^th of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 12 pts since 2021

From top 30% (2021) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5High Schools in the Cherokee County Schools

138^th of 242Cherokee 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	83.6	117 of 641	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	77.7	140 of 640	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	140 of 626	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	172 of 621	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.5	181 of 594	69.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	86.5	89 of 610	85.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.2	114 of 602	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.9	128 of 588	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	66.0	186 of 594	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	72.7	116 of 412	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	66.2	143 of 403	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	131 of 398	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	66.1	110 of 436	74.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	90.9	73 of 606	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	78.3	122 of 613	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.1	113 of 597	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	103 of 544	81.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	73.3	159 of 601	73.5%	★★★★☆
2024	52.6	270 of 607	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.5	121 of 602	79.9%	★★★★☆
2022	68.0	171 of 585	70.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	76.1	137 of 542	74.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.3	188 of 553	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.8	137 of 537	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	57.1	222 of 534	58.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)85th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2022)75th percentile~ school

White (2025)75th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)72nd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English II90%+31 vs state

Math III86%+19 vs state

Biology69%+21 vs state

Math I62%+28 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tri-County Early College 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 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Tri-County Early College High	Public	9-12	Tri-County Early College High	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-6775	153	8	18.5	96.1%	112 (73.2%)	4 (2.6%)	24 (15.7%)	4 (2.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.2%)	83.6	117^th of 641 public high schools	81.7%		77.7	140^th of 640 public high schools	78.1%	23	69.0	90.5	62.5	85.7				$7,830	$280	$7,549
The Oaks Academy	Public	6-12	The Oaks Academy	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-6775	43	6	7.4	79.1%	39 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.3%)	8.2	605^th of 641 public high schools	5.6%					(n/a)	27.3	12.5			8.3	16.7	25.0	$16,426	$280	$16,146
Murphy High	Public	9-12	234 High School Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 837-2426	424	20	20.8	99.3%	340 (80.2%)	13 (3.1%)	36 (8.5%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.9%)	51.2	285^th of 641 public high schools	55.5%		53.4	279^th of 640 public high schools	56.4%	6	47.7	55.9	50.0	67.6				$10,724	$1,248	$9,476
Hayesville High	Public	9-12	205 Yellow Jacket Drive	Hayesville	28904	Clay County	Clay County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 389-6532	366	28	13.0	99.2%	310 (84.7%)	2 (0.5%)	39 (10.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.5%)	57.9	245^th of 641 public high schools	61.8%		56.4	251^st of 640 public high schools	60.8%	6	53.7	60.9	32.9	85.9				$14,651	$1,180	$13,471
Andrews High	Public	9-12	50 High School Drive	Andrews	28901	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 321-5415	229	10	24.0	97.8%	185 (80.8%)	2 (0.9%)	26 (11.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.6%)	30.3	443^rd of 641 public high schools	30.9%		32.7	422^nd of 640 public high schools	34.1%	21	30.8	44.7	43.1	47.5				$14,037	$1,030	$13,007
Hiwassee Dam High	Public	9-12	267 Blue Eagle Circle	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 644-5115	137	9	15.9	97.8%	127 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.4%)	33	424^th of 641 public high schools	33.9%		27.8	469^th of 640 public high schools	26.7%	45	39.1	70.0	36.8	29.7				$12,078	$452	$11,625

Frequently Asked Questions about Tri-County Early College High

Is Tri-County Early College High a good school?

Tri-County Early College High ranks 117^th of 641 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Tri-County Early College High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 153 students attended Tri-County Early College High.

What district is Tri-County Early College High in?

Cherokee County Schools

What is the racial makeup of Tri-County Early College High?

Students at Tri-County Early College High are 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

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Schools in Murphy, 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.