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McDowell Academy for Innovation

Public Grades 9-12

53^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 641 North Carolina High Schools

Better than 92% of North Carolina high schools

Summary

McDowell Academy for Innovation is a public high school in Marion, North Carolina, serving 126 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the McDowell County Schools district, which is ranked 98 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McDowell Academy for Innovation consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic metrics. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had significantly higher proficiency rates in end-of-course exams for Biology, English II, Math I, and Math III compared to the district and state. The school also maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 84.3% to 87.7% over the past few years, outperforming the district and state averages. When compared to other high schools in the McDowell County Schools district, such as McDowell High School, McDowell Academy for Innovation demonstrates exceptional academic performance.

The school's success is further highlighted by its proximity to McDowell Early College, another high-performing school in the district. Despite having a relatively high per-student spending of $24,717, McDowell Academy for Innovation has been able to achieve exceptional academic outcomes, suggesting effective utilization of resources. When compared to schools in neighboring districts, such as Mayland Early College and R-S Central High School, McDowell Academy for Innovation still demonstrates superior academic performance, highlighting its strong position within the region.

158

Students ?

22.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,717

Per pupil spending ?

98.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 659-0411

District: McDowell County Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.4%

Hispanic:

24.1%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare McDowell Academy for Innovation to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 72nd percentile in 2021 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Carolina average (90% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of North Carolina high schools

✓89% graduate in 4 years — above the North Carolina average (86%)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school90%

District avg48%

North Carolina avg53%

53^rd of 641

North Carolina public high schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 20 pts since 2021

From top 28% (2021) to top 8% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the McDowell County Schools

98^th of 242McDowell 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	92.8	53 of 641	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	96.4	7 of 640	98.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	32 of 626	94.9%	★★★★★
2022	77.0	142 of 621	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	68.0	165 of 594	72.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	95.2	10 of 610	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	2 of 602	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	46 of 588	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	85.1	88 of 594	85.2%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	73.2	111 of 412	73.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	89.0	66 of 462	85.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	92.2	70 of 606	88.4%	★★★★☆
2024	97.4	24 of 613	96.1%	★★★★★
2023	97.1	25 of 597	95.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	88.0	96 of 601	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	96.2	17 of 607	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	96.8	8 of 602	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	56.7	223 of 585	61.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	92.1	29 of 542	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	95.4	2 of 553	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	92.2	35 of 537	93.5%	★★★★★
2022	73.2	149 of 534	72.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2025)98th percentile+7 vs school

White (2025)95th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)86th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)84th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)73rd percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Math III98%+31 vs state

English II95%+36 vs state

Math I87%+52 vs state

Biology76%+28 vs state

★

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Schools Near McDowell Academy for Innovation

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)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	92.8	53^rd of 641 public high schools	91.7%		96.4	7^th of 640 public high schools	98.9%	46	76.5	95.1	86.8	97.6	$24,717	$228	$24,489
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%)	93.2	48^th of 641 public high schools	92.5%		93.3	48^th of 640 public high schools	92.5%		77.8	95.2	83.8	100.0	$7,400	$232	$7,168
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%)								(n/a)		12.5		6.7
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%)	29	465^th of 641 public high schools	27.5%		32.1	429^th of 640 public high schools	33.0%	36	40.4	43.5	21.1	58.7	$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%)	30.4	440^th of 641 public high schools	31.4%		37.9	388^th of 640 public high schools	39.4%	52	40.8	42.1	30.9	55.3	$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)				87.1	$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%)	54.2	267^th of 641 public high schools	58.3%		66	200^th of 640 public high schools	68.8%	67	47.7	63.8	52.2	65.4	$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%)	38.1	391^st of 641 public high schools	39.0%		41.9	359^th of 640 public high schools	43.9%	32	37.9	56.5	20.1	68.1	$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Mayland Early College	Public	9-12	264 Mayland Dr	Spruce Pine	28777	Avery 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%)	83.9	115^th of 641 public high schools	82.1%		84.6	113^th of 640 public high schools	82.3%	2	61.9	89.3	75.0	86.7	$7,370	$209	$7,160

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell Academy for Innovation

How many students attend McDowell Academy for Innovation?

In the 2024-25 school year, 158 students attended McDowell Academy for Innovation.

Is McDowell Academy for Innovation a good school?

Yes. McDowell Academy for Innovation ranks in the top 8.3% of North Carolina high schools.

What district is McDowell Academy for Innovation in?

McDowell County Schools

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Academy for Innovation?

Students at McDowell Academy for Innovation are 68% White, 24% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

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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.