Enrollment
143
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · West Jefferson, NC
Ashe County Early College High
Federal NCES profile for Ashe County Early College High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370021003474
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ashe County Early College High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in West Jefferson · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 28.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ashe County Early College High has class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ashe County Early College High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in West Jefferson, NC.
School address
District: Ashe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370021003474 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+81% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ashe County Early College High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ashe County Early College High
Ashe County Early College High is a small high school in West Jefferson, North Carolina, enrolling 143 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.6:1 is larger than about 98% of North Carolina schools and 81% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of North Carolina schools, with 143 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 40/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 143 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among West Jefferson's high schools, it stands alongside Ashe County High (767 students): Ashe County Early College High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.6:1 vs 14.2:1).
Ashe County Schools also operates Ashe County High (767 students) and Mountain View Elementary (566 students) alongside Ashe County Early College High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ashe County Early College High compares
Ashe County Early College High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.6:1 | ▲ 81% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▼ 32% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 143 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.6:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
143
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
28.6:1
students per teacher
- 81% above state mean
Top 98% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,780
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 143 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.6, Ashe County Early College High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ashe County Schools, which includes Ashe County Early College High.
$13,780
Per student
+15%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.5%
State 64.8%
Federal 19.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ashe County Early College High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashe County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ashe County Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ashe County Early College High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in West Jefferson
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~143 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ashe County Early College High's federal record.
- Compare Ashe County Early College High against another school. Compare schools
- Ashe County Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ashe County Early College High
How many students attend Ashe County Early College High?
Ashe County Early College High has 143 students enrolled. It is a high school in West Jefferson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ashe County Early College High?
The student-teacher ratio at Ashe County Early College High is 28.6:1, which is 81% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 82% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ashe County Early College High?
45.2% of students at Ashe County Early College High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ashe County Early College High?
The largest demographic group at Ashe County Early College High is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in West Jefferson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ashe County Early College High?
Ashe County Early College High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ashe County Early College High rank among public schools in West Jefferson?
By Resource Investment Index, Ashe County Early College High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in West Jefferson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Jefferson on the city page.
Is Ashe County Early College High a good school?
Ashe County Early College High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of North Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ashe County Schools?
Besides Ashe County Early College High, Ashe County Schools also operates Ashe County High (767 students), Mountain View Elementary (566 students), and Westwood Elementary (451 students). See the Ashe County Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.