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

McDowell High School

Q: Is McDowell High School a good school?

McDowell High School ranks 420 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend McDowell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,379 students attended McDowell High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of McDowell High School?

Students at McDowell High School are 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

Q: What schools feed into McDowell High School?

McDowell High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Eastfield Global Magnet School Elementary : Glenwood Elementary School Elementary : Marion Elementary School Elementary : Nebo Elementary School Elementary : North Cove Elementary School Elementary : Old Fort Elementary School Elementary : Pleasant Gardens Elementary School Elementary : West Marion Elementary School Middle : East McDowell Middle School Middle : West McDowell Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

420^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 37% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

McDowell High School in Marion, NC, is the primary comprehensive high school in McDowell County Schools, serving about 1,379 students in grades 9–12.

Nearly all students (98.8%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a very high-need profile. After a 1-star dip in 2024-2025, the school earned a 2-star rating and ranked 420th of 662 high schools (37th percentile) in 2025-2026 — an improvement, though still below its pre-2020 standing. End-of-Course proficiency rose sharply across every subject: Biology from 40.4% to 53.9%, English II from 43.5% to 52.3%, Math I from 21.1% to 37.1%, and Math III from 58.7% to 68.4%. Even so, the school trails the statewide average in most subjects; English II's 52.3% versus 64.6% is the widest gap, while Math III is a genuine bright spot. The four-year graduation rate reached 85.7%, up from 74.4% in 2021-2022, but still trails the McDowell County Schools average of 88.6% and the state's 88.8%. Nearby Owen High and Freedom High outperform McDowell overall and graduate more students; Mitchell High ranks just above McDowell in percentile.

Attendance is the biggest non-academic barrier: 27.0% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025 — well above the statewide rate of 24.2% and higher than at Owen High (13.8%) or Mitchell High (19.8%) — though the rate has fallen sharply from the pandemic-era peak of 48.3%. There are real bright spots. The school's students with disabilities jumped from the 14th to the 60th percentile in a single year, and its English learners now sit near the statewide midpoint for their group. The wider district context matters too: McDowell Early College and McDowell Academy for Innovation rank at the 87th and 96th percentiles, respectively, but they are small, selective programs. McDowell High School educates the majority of the county's teenagers, so its consistent, broad-based improvement in test scores and graduation rate is the clearest measure of how McDowell County Schools is faring as a whole.

1,379

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,698

Per pupil spending ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

600 McDowell High School Dr
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 652-7920

District: McDowell County Schools

Feeder schools for McDowell High School:

Elementary:	Eastfield Global Magnet School
	Glenwood Elementary School
	Marion Elementary School
	Nebo Elementary School
	More...
	North Cove Elementary School
	Old Fort Elementary School
	Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
	West Marion Elementary School
Middle:	East McDowell Middle School
	West McDowell Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.7%

Hispanic:

16.0%

Two or more races:

6.5%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare McDowell High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 30th percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Carolina average (53% vs 60% meeting standards)

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

!English II scores 12 pts below the North Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

420^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 30% (2016) to bottom 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

103^rd of 246McDowell 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	38.0	420 of 662	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.0	465 of 641	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	429 of 640	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.5	423 of 626	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.2	418 of 621	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	331 of 594	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.9	209 of 514	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.3	153 of 469	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	196 of 476	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	24.3	353 of 507	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.8	322 of 531	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	26.0	309 of 451	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	33.8	282 of 505	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	18.1	431 of 502	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.6	404 of 506	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.1	340 of 499	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	43.0	312 of 490	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	43.3	300 of 477	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.3	273 of 453	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.3	239 of 431	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.5	249 of 450	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.8	238 of 440	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	190 of 437	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.3	263 of 434	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.6	385 of 430	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.6	169 of 369	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	92 of 359	74.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	17.7	316 of 330	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.1	293 of 334	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	269 of 364	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	228 of 349	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.3	151 of 289	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	177 of 273	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.1	180 of 262	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	140 of 226	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.4	137 of 156	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.2	108 of 173	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.1	79 of 147	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.2	374 of 629	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.8	464 of 610	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	451 of 602	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.7	412 of 588	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	387 of 594	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	261 of 475	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	202 of 475	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	138 of 449	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.2	251 of 407	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.9	324 of 412	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.5	261 of 403	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.1	201 of 403	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.6	129 of 398	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.2	148 of 337	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.4	107 of 325	67.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.1	341 of 474	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.2	391 of 462	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	371 of 454	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.5	388 of 449	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.1	397 of 436	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	32.8	232 of 370	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	217 of 354	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.0	205 of 340	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	45.2	18 of 39	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.2	33 of 47	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	95.5	2 of 45	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	62.6	5 of 34	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	54.1	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.5	8 of 44	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	2 of 17	88.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	35.3	399 of 620	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.3	471 of 606	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	414 of 613	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.9	407 of 597	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.0	417 of 544	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.3	172 of 432	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	134 of 446	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.0	77 of 424	81.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.5	430 of 624	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.0	435 of 601	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.6	388 of 607	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.9	405 of 602	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	416 of 585	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.8	222 of 481	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.0	202 of 488	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	185 of 463	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	190 of 265	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.3	200 of 253	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	197 of 261	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	189 of 249	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.5	202 of 226	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	69.1	51 of 185	72.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	49.1	147 of 372	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	22.9	304 of 352	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.2	256 of 349	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.7	443 of 551	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	475 of 542	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.3	468 of 553	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	455 of 537	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	432 of 534	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.0	294 of 439	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.8	263 of 444	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.9	233 of 427	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)60th percentile+24 vs school

Homeless (2025)54th percentile+26 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)48th percentile+11 vs school

African American (2026)45th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)41st percentile+4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)38th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)36th percentile~ school

Male (2026)31st percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)28th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2026)28th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)20th percentile-17 vs school

Disabled (2022)4th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Math III68%~ state avg

Biology54%-5 vs state

English II52%-12 vs state

Math I37%-5 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate McDowell High School

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 teacher
Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The school is often covered with tobacco the students don't respect the teachers. Also the teachers are often more concerned about the students liking them and not worrying about whether or not the students are actually learning anything. Also trying to get something done about disrespectful students is almost impossible. If I write a student up for using inappropriate language or for not doing their work nothing is done. Although the teachers are not the only ones with issues trying to get children disciplined. Bus drivers are always writing someone up but it seems to be taken as a joke. This is the worst school I have ever seen. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, September 20, 2013

McDowell High School is a place where every student is important. The staff is always willing to work beyond what is required to make a difference for the students. Close Quote

Schools Near McDowell High School

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)	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	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	—	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
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
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	—	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
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	—	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
Mayland Early College	Public	9-12	264 Mayland Dr	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-2590	113	5	23.2	97.3%	91 (80.5%)	1 (0.9%)	11 (9.7%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.2%)	84.6	109^th of 662 public high schools	83.5%		83.9	115^th of 641 public high schools	82.1%	6	88.9	78.6		92.0			$7,370	$209	$7,160
Freedom High	Public	9-12	511 Independence Boulevard	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-1310	1,299	57	22.7	—	595 (45.8%)	93 (7.2%)	459 (35.3%)	54 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (7.5%)	42	392^nd of 662 public high schools	40.8%		30.4	440^th of 641 public high schools	31.4%	48	54.9	56.4	49.6	61.3			$8,511	$796	$7,716
Mitchell High	Public	9-12	416 Ledger School Rd	Bakersville	28705	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-3400	482	39	12.2	—	396 (82.2%)	4 (0.8%)	68 (14.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	43.1	385^th of 662 public high schools	41.8%		23	506^th of 641 public high schools	21.1%	121	65.6	61.1	37.4	52.5			$11,982	$572	$11,410
Burke Middle College	Public	11-12	1001 Burkemont Ave	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 448-3175	130	3	43.3	97.7%	69 (53.1%)	2 (1.5%)	14 (10.8%)	40 (30.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)								(n/a)				87.5			$4,804	$268	$4,536
Owen High	Public	9-12	99 Lake Eden Road	Black Mountain	28711	Buncombe County	Buncombe County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 686-3852	649	43	15.1	98.0%	466 (71.8%)	25 (3.9%)	113 (17.4%)	7 (1.1%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (4.9%)	52.2	317^th of 662 public high schools	52.1%		43	350^th of 641 public high schools	45.4%	33	62.0	68.8	44.4	69.0			$11,241	$694	$10,547

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell High School

Is McDowell High School a good school?

McDowell High School ranks 420^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is McDowell High School in?

McDowell County Schools

What is the racial makeup of McDowell High School?

Students at McDowell High School are 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

How many students attend McDowell High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,379 students attended McDowell High School.

What schools feed into McDowell High School?

McDowell High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Eastfield Global Magnet School
Elementary : Glenwood Elementary School
Elementary : Marion Elementary School
Elementary : Nebo Elementary School
Elementary : North Cove Elementary School
Elementary : Old Fort Elementary School
Elementary : Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
Elementary : West Marion Elementary School
Middle : East McDowell Middle School
Middle : West McDowell Middle School

Rate McDowell High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NCNorth Carolina High School Rankings

NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Marion, NC

Sign up for updates!

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

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.