Enrollment
1,013
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Asheville, NC
Erwin High
Federal NCES profile for Erwin High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370045000143
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Erwin High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 8
- high schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Erwin High has class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Erwin High ranks #4 of 8 high schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Erwin High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Erwin High
Erwin High is a higher-need, large high school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 1,013 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,013 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 400 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,013 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Asheville's high schools, it stands alongside Roberson High (1,479 students): Erwin High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 15.6:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Erwin 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 Erwin High compares
Erwin 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▼ 11% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,013 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,013
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
262
in-school suspensions + 138 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.5 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 47.5%
Hispanic or Latino 35.4%
African American 9.3%
Two or More 4.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Erwin High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Erwin High.
$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 Erwin High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Estes Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Erwin High'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
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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
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 (~1,013 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Erwin High's federal record.
- Compare Erwin High 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 Erwin High
How many students attend Erwin High?
Erwin High has 1,013 students enrolled. It is a high school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Erwin High?
The student-teacher ratio at Erwin High is 13.3:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% 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 Erwin High?
58.9% of students at Erwin High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Erwin High?
The largest demographic group at Erwin High is White at 47.5% of enrollment, in Asheville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Erwin High?
Erwin High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Erwin High rank among high schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Erwin High ranks #4 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 Erwin High a good school?
Erwin High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Erwin High, 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.