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Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 28752

At a glance

Schools

1,142

Students

Top rankedFoothills Community School105^th of 773 North Carolina middle schools

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Biggest riser

West McDowell Middle School up 56 spots statewide this year

See the top-ranked North Carolina schools →

Summary:

The 28752 zip code area is home to three middle schools: West McDowell Middle School, East McDowell Middle School, and Foothills Community School. These schools serve economically disadvantaged populations, with all three having very high free/reduced lunch rates exceeding 98%.

Among the three, Foothills Community School stands out as the top performer. Foothills is ranked in the top 15% of North Carolina middle schools and has the highest test scores across math, reading, and science, significantly outpacing the county and state averages. The school also boasts an impressive 87.7% 4-year graduation rate, well above the state average.

Interestingly, Foothills Community School achieves these strong outcomes while spending the least per student ($6,490) compared to West McDowell Middle School ($9,132) and East McDowell Middle School ($9,697). This suggests factors beyond just funding, such as effective teaching practices and school leadership, may be driving Foothills' success in serving its high-needs student population.

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	EOG Mathematics 6th Grade	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 6th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	676 State Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7711	392	35	11.2	99.2%	273 (69.6%)	16 (4.1%)	77 (19.6%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	31.6	529^th of 773 public middle schools	31.6%		43.5	455^th of 793 public middle schools	42.6%	74	45.8	56.7	27.9	42.3	46.4	48.1	39.5	$9,697	$1,539	$8,158
West McDowell Middle School	Public	6-8	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-3390	550	35	15.5	99.5%	413 (75.1%)	17 (3.1%)	88 (16.0%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	43.7	444^th of 773 public middle schools	42.6%		38.7	500^th of 793 public middle schools	36.9%	56	72.7	46.4	37.4	48.3	49.4	44.7	50.0	$9,132	$764	$8,368
Foothills Community School	Public, Magnet	6-8	176 Lukin Street	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(828) 652-1040	200	11	18.0	98.5%	164 (82.0%)	4 (2.0%)	22 (11.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.0%)	83.8	105^th of 773 public middle schools	86.4%		77.1	152^nd of 793 public middle schools	80.8%	47	69.0	80.3	55.6	72.4	77.3	73.6	75.0	$6,490	$276	$6,214

Cities Near Zip Code 28752

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Marion	0.63 mi	13	217^th
Nebo	5.67 mi	1	273^rd
Old Fort	9.71 mi	1	97^th
Morganton	13.79 mi	22	272^nd
Rutherfordton	14.45 mi	4	179^th

See the top NC North Carolina cities

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.