Enrollment
271
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Asheville, NC
Early College
Federal NCES profile for Early College, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370045002661
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Early College earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 8
- high schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 53.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Early College has class sizes larger than 96% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Early College ranks #3 of 8 high schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045002661 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Early College compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Early College
Early College is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 271 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.6:1 is larger than about 96% of North Carolina schools and 56% 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 53.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 271 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 220 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #97.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (41%) (diversity index 57/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 271 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Asheville's high schools, it stands alongside Roberson High (1,479 students): Early College is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.6:1 vs 15.6:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Early College.
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 Early College compares
Early College 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 | 24.6:1 | ▲ 56% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.3% | ▼ 19% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 271 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.6:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
271
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
24.6:1
students per teacher
- 56% above state mean
Top 96% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,190
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 271 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 50.9%
Hispanic or Latino 40.6%
African American 3.7%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 50.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.4, Early College is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Early College.
$13,190
Per student
+10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 49.5%
Federal 21.3%
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 Early College Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Early College's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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
Asheville High
Standard public school
1,221 students 14.9:1 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
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 (~271 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Early College's federal record.
- Compare Early College against another school. Compare schools
- Buncombe 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 Early College
How many students attend Early College?
Early College has 271 students enrolled. It is a high school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Early College?
The student-teacher ratio at Early College is 24.6:1, which is 56% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Early College?
53.3% of students at Early College are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Early College?
The largest demographic group at Early College is White at 50.9% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Early College?
Early College has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Early College rank among high schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Early College ranks #3 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 Early College a good school?
Early College earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Early College, Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students), Reynolds High (1,169 students), and Enka High (1,051 students). See the Buncombe 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.