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Madison Early College High

Q: Is Madison Early College High a good school?

Madison Early College High ranks 140 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

140^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 79% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

Madison Early College High is a small early-college public high school in Marshall, NC, serving 270 students in grades 9–12 as part of Madison County Schools, a 4-star district in the mountains north of Asheville that ranks 70th among North Carolina's 246 districts. Sitting on the same campus as Madison High School, the early college clearly outpaces its neighbor: in 2025–2026 it ranked 140th out of 662 North Carolina high schools (79th percentile, 4 stars), while Madison High ranked 288th (56th percentile). Its standing has also improved, moving from the 70th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 79th in 2025–2026.

On End-of-Course exams, Madison Early College beats district and state averages by wide margins in every subject. Proficiency rates reach 82.8% in Biology, 84.5% in English II, and 85.4% in Math III, versus statewide averages of 58.5%, 64.6%, and 68.9%. Even its lowest subject, Math I at 64.0%, is far above the district's 48.8% and the state's 42.1%, though that score has swung noticeably from year to year. Attendance is another standout: 13.9% of students were chronically absent in 2024–2025, less than half the district average of 26.9% and well below Madison High's 32.3%.

These results are especially striking given the school's profile. Nearly all students (about 99%) qualify for free/reduced-price lunch, yet low-income students rank at the 82nd percentile statewide and male students at the 85th. The school also achieves strong outcomes leanly, reporting a 27-to-1 student–teacher ratio and roughly $6,768 in per-student spending, compared with Madison High's 8.4-to-1 ratio and $13,733 in spending. The clearest relative weakness involves gifted/talented students, who rank at the 35th percentile, so families of advanced learners may want to ask how the school challenges its strongest students. Overall, Madison Early College sits below regional innovation peers such as Nesbitt Discovery Academy but far above most neighboring traditional high schools — evidence that a school's model and culture can matter as much as its funding.

270

Students ?

27.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

5734 US 25/70 Hwy
Marshall, NC 28753

(828) 649-0319

District: Madison County Schools

Feeder schools for Madison Early College High:

Elementary:	Brush Creek Elementary
	Hot Springs Elementary
	Mars Hill Elementary
Middle:	Madison Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.6%

Hispanic:

10.4%

Two or more races:

2.2%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2021 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (80% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 27 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg67%

North Carolina avg60%

140^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 2 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

70^th of 246Madison 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	79.8	140 of 662	78.9%	★★★★☆
2025	76.9	146 of 641	77.2%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	194 of 640	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.9	154 of 626	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.0	168 of 621	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	78.8	113 of 594	81.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	187 of 629	70.3%	★★★★☆
2025	67.9	184 of 610	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.1	226 of 602	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	192 of 588	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.8	161 of 594	72.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.9	265 of 407	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.7	238 of 403	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.7	261 of 398	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.9	111 of 620	82.1%	★★★★☆
2025	74.2	130 of 606	78.5%	★★★★☆
2024	66.7	162 of 613	73.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.9	103 of 597	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	78.4	93 of 544	82.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.5	96 of 624	84.6%	★★★★☆
2025	83.6	120 of 601	80.0%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	153 of 607	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	82.1	119 of 602	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.2	185 of 585	68.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	179 of 551	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.3	200 of 542	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.2	248 of 553	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.3	180 of 537	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.8	224 of 534	58.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2026)85th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)82nd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)70th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)35th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III85%+16 vs state

English II84%+20 vs state

Biology83%+24 vs state

Math I64%+22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Madison Early College High

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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)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Madison Early College High	Public	9-12	5734 US 25/70 Hwy	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-0319	270	10	27.0	—	231 (85.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.4%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	79.8	140^th of 662 public high schools	78.9%		76.9	146^th of 641 public high schools	77.2%	6	82.8	84.5	64.0	85.4	$6,768	$164	$6,604
Madison High School	Public	9-12	5740 US Hwy 25-70	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-2876	377	45	8.4	97.9%	354 (93.9%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	54.7	288^th of 662 public high schools	56.5%		51.2	286^th of 641 public high schools	55.4%	2	58.9	67.1	42.7	86.1	$13,733	$1,107	$12,625
Madison Velocity Learning Center	Public	9-12	5740 US Hwy 25/70	Marshall	28753	Madison County	Madison County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 649-2876	19	0		84.2%	19 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
North Buncombe High	Public	9-12	890 Clarks Chapel Road	Weaverville	28787	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 645-4221	896	54	16.5	—	689 (76.9%)	9 (1.0%)	153 (17.1%)	7 (0.8%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	31 (3.5%)	52.9	309^th of 662 public high schools	53.3%		58.3	238^th of 641 public high schools	62.9%	71	66.2	68.9	49.4	64.0	$9,935	$695	$9,241
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	—	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
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	—	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
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
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	—	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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Madison Early College High

What schools feed into Madison Early College High?

Madison Early College High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brush Creek Elementary
Elementary : Hot Springs Elementary
Elementary : Mars Hill Elementary
Middle : Madison Middle School

Is Madison Early College High a good school?

Madison Early College High ranks 140^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Madison Early College High?

Students at Madison Early College High are 86% White, 10% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Madison Early College High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 270 students attended Madison Early College High.

What district is Madison Early College High in?

Madison County Schools

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Latest North Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2020–21 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 19, 2026

2022–23 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 attendance dataSep 2, 2026

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.