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McDowell Early College

Q: Is McDowell Early College a good school?

McDowell Early College ranks 89 th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend McDowell Early College?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended McDowell Early College.

Q: What is the racial makeup of McDowell Early College?

Students at McDowell Early College are 76% White, 17% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into McDowell Early College?

McDowell Early College 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

89^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 662 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 87% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

McDowell Early College is a small public early-college high school in Marion, NC, serving 241 students in grades 9–12. Part of McDowell County Schools, a district that ranks in the middle of the state, this school has compiled one of the strongest performance records in western North Carolina, earning a 5-star rating for five consecutive years and finishing 89th of 662 high schools statewide in 2025-26. Its End-of-Course proficiency rates dramatically surpass district and state averages: 94.4% in Biology, 93.3% in English II, and 70.6% in Math I, compared with district rates of 61.1%, 59.7%, and 42.7%, respectively.

The school's success is especially notable because nearly all its students face economic challenges — 98.76% qualify for free/reduced-price lunch — yet its ranking for low socioeconomic status students places it in the 84th percentile statewide. Attendance is a major competitive advantage: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent in 2024-25, roughly one-quarter of the district rate (26.5%). This compares favorably to nearby Mayland Early College (11.7%) and stands in stark contrast to the area's traditional high schools. McDowell Early College outperforms the county's primary comprehensive high school, McDowell High School, by 30 to 40 percentage points in core tested subjects while maintaining far lower chronic absenteeism.

The most recent data shows a mild but measurable cool-down from an extraordinary peak. Math I proficiency has declined steadily from 97.2% in 2022-23 to 70.6% in 2025-26, and the Gifted and Talented subgroup rank slipped from the 98th to the 62nd percentile. Given the small enrollment, some of this may reflect cohort-to-cohort variation, but the math trend is worth watching. Interestingly, the school shares an address with McDowell Academy for Innovation, which ranked even higher (25th of 662), suggesting these focused school models produce far stronger outcomes than the district's traditional high schools. McDowell Early College does so efficiently, spending just $7,400 per pupil.

241

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

98.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 659-0411

District: McDowell County Schools

Feeder schools for McDowell Early College:

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:

76.3%

Hispanic:

16.6%

Two or more races:

3.3%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare McDowell Early College to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2021 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (87% vs 60% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of North Carolina high schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2021

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school87%

District avg59%

North Carolina avg60%

89^th of 662

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 8 pts since 2021

From top 6% (2021) to top 13% (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	88.9	89 of 662	86.6%	★★★★☆
2025	93.2	48 of 641	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	93.3	48 of 640	92.5%	★★★★★
2023	95.8	16 of 626	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	93.5	38 of 621	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	94.8	33 of 594	94.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.2	88 of 629	86.0%	★★★★☆
2025	93.0	41 of 610	93.3%	★★★★★
2024	89.3	67 of 602	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	94.8	17 of 588	97.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.5	45 of 594	92.4%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.5	154 of 407	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.7	37 of 403	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	81.7	8 of 403	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	83.8	3 of 398	99.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	93.3	42 of 454	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	92.5	40 of 449	91.1%	★★★★★
2022	92.4	47 of 436	89.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.3	102 of 620	83.5%	★★★★☆
2025	96.2	38 of 606	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	96.7	34 of 613	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	97.8	18 of 597	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	95.6	40 of 544	92.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	61 of 624	90.2%	★★★★★
2025	92.9	58 of 601	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	20 of 607	96.7%	★★★★★
2023	96.5	13 of 602	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	95.9	28 of 585	95.2%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	76 of 551	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	87.9	67 of 542	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	89.6	63 of 553	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	94.8	8 of 537	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.9	32 of 534	94.0%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2024)91st percentile~ school

Male (2026)90th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)86th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile-3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)62nd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Biology94%+36 vs state

English II93%+29 vs state

Math I71%+29 vs state

★

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Schools Near McDowell Early College

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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)	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/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 8th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	98.8%	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	98.1%	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
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 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	98.8%	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
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	99.8%	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
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
Patton High School	Public	9-12	701 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-3000	756	31	24.3	98.9%	530 (70.1%)	10 (1.3%)	165 (21.8%)	22 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (3.6%)	67.9	202^nd of 662 public high schools	69.5%		54.2	267^th of 641 public high schools	58.3%	65	69.3	72.4	72.2	74.7			$9,266	$744	$8,523
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	763	36	21.2	98.2%	539 (70.6%)	99 (13.0%)	60 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (8.1%)	44.9	368^th of 662 public high schools	44.4%		38.1	391^st of 641 public high schools	39.0%	23	56.2	64.0	22.0	75.2			$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
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

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell Early College

What schools feed into McDowell Early College?

McDowell Early College 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

Is McDowell Early College a good school?

McDowell Early College ranks 89^th of 662 North Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Early College?

Students at McDowell Early College are 76% White, 17% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is McDowell Early College in?

McDowell County Schools

How many students attend McDowell Early College?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended McDowell Early College.

Rate McDowell Early College!

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NCNorth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Marion, NC

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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.