Top Rankings
Mcdowell County Schools ranks among the top 20% of public school district in North Carolina for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 4 public high schools serving 1,733 students in Mcdowell County Schools. This district's average high testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in North Carolina.
Public High Schools in Mcdowell County Schools have an average math proficiency score of 72% (versus the North Carolina public high school average of 58%), and reading proficiency score of 53% (versus the 58% statewide average).
Public High School in Mcdowell County School have a Graduation Rate of 84%, which is less than the North Carolina average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Mcdowell Early College, with ≥90% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in North Carolina or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 27% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the North Carolina public high school average of 56% (majority Black and Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NC)
# Schools
15 Schools
758 Schools
# Students
5,545 Students
568,636 Students
# Teachers
374 Teachers
31,535 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Mcdowell County Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 314 school districts in North Carolina (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80% has decreased from 85% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#168 out of 325 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
(21-22)51%
51%
Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
48%
50%
Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
63%
63%
Graduation Rate
80%
86.5%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
Chronically Absent Students
(2022-23)31.4%
28.7%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.42
0.71
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
4%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% Hispanic
16%
21%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 28-year historical data available below ↓
% Black
3%
25%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% White
74%
44%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
5%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $14,343 is higher than the state median of $13,318. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,675 is higher than the state median of $13,934. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$80 MM
$20,622 MM
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Spending
$81 MM
$21,575 MM
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Revenue / Student
$14,343
$13,318
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Spending / Student
$14,675
$13,934
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Best Mcdowell County Schools Public High Schools (2026-27)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Mcdowell Early College
(Math: ≥80% | Reading: ≥90%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 659-0411
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 659-0411
Gr: 9-13 | 193 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 24%
Rank: #22.
Mcdowell High School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
600 Mcdowell High School Dr
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-7920
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-7920
Gr: 9-12 | 1,379 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #33.
Mcdowell Academy For Innovation
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 659-0411
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 659-0411
Gr: 9-13 | 138 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 32%
Rank: n/an/a
The Summit Academy
Alternative School
75 Crawford St
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-1266
Marion, NC 28752
(828) 652-1266
Gr: 6-12 | 23 students Student-teacher ratio: 6:1 Minority enrollment: 13%
Recent Articles
When a Public School Cancels a Course Your Child Needs
Learn what parents can do when public schools cancel essential courses, including protecting graduation credits, finding approved alternatives, requesting substitutions, and preventing disruptions to college or career plans before deadlines.
Verify School Assignment Before Buying a House
Before buying a house, learn how to verify your child's assigned public school, check conflicting property listings, confirm enrollment eligibility, and avoid costly school assignment surprises before closing on a property.
School Bus Commute Times: What Parents Should Know
Discover how long school bus commutes really take, why routes vary, and what parents should ask about pickup times, student fatigue, transportation reliability, and daily schedules before choosing schools.
