Enrollment
1,221
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Asheville, NC
Asheville High
Federal NCES profile for Asheville High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370027000070
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Asheville High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 8
- high schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 31.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Asheville High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Asheville High ranks #5 of 8 high schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Asheville City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370027000070 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Asheville High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Asheville High
Asheville High is a large high school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 1,221 students.
At 14.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.8% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,221 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 194 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #48.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 53/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Asheville City Schools spends $15,998 per pupil, 33% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Asheville's high schools, it stands alongside Roberson High (1,479 students): Asheville High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 15.6:1).
Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville Middle (670 students) and Claxton Elementary (405 students) alongside Asheville 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 Asheville High compares
Asheville 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.8% | ▼ 52% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,221 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,221
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,998
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 65.8%
African American 14.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 7.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.6%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Asheville High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Asheville City Schools, which includes Asheville High.
$15,998
Per student
+33%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 40.4%
Federal 14.6%
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 Asheville High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Claxton Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Isaac Dickson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ira B Jones Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| School of Inquiry and Life Sciences | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Asheville High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high schools in Asheville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Roberson High
Standard public school
1,479 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Reynolds High
Standard public school
1,169 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Erwin High
Standard public school
1,013 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Nesbitt Discovery Academy
Standard public school
372 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Standard public school
332 students 23.7:1 students per teacher
Early College
Standard public school
271 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,221 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Asheville High's federal record.
- Compare Asheville High against another school. Compare schools
- Asheville City 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 Asheville High
How many students attend Asheville High?
Asheville High has 1,221 students enrolled. It is a high school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Asheville High?
The student-teacher ratio at Asheville High is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Asheville High?
31.8% of students at Asheville High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Asheville High?
The largest demographic group at Asheville High is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Asheville High?
Asheville High has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Asheville High rank among high schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Asheville High ranks #5 of 8 high schools in Asheville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Asheville on the city page.
Is Asheville High a good school?
Asheville High earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Asheville City Schools?
Besides Asheville High, Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville Middle (670 students), Claxton Elementary (405 students), and Isaac Dickson Elementary (390 students). See the Asheville City 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.