Enrollment
241
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Marion, NC
Mcdowell Early College
Federal NCES profile for Mcdowell Early College, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370294002809
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcdowell Early College earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Marion · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 40.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcdowell Early College has class sizes larger than 90% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdowell Early College ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Marion, NC.
School address
District: Mcdowell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370294002809 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcdowell Early College compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcdowell Early College
Mcdowell Early College is a mid-sized high school in Marion, North Carolina, enrolling 241 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.1:1 is larger than about 90% of North Carolina schools and 27% 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 40.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 241 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
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 145 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 39/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 24.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Marion's high schools, it stands alongside Mcdowell High School (1,379 students): Mcdowell Early College is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.1:1 vs 14.7:1).
Mcdowell County Schools also operates Mcdowell High School (1,379 students) and West Mcdowell Middle School (550 students) alongside Mcdowell 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 Mcdowell Early College compares
Mcdowell 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 | 20.1:1 | ▲ 27% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.0% | ▼ 39% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 241 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
241
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
1.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,857
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 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 76.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.9, Mcdowell Early College 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 Mcdowell County Schools, which includes Mcdowell Early College.
$12,857
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.9%
State 58.7%
Federal 24.4%
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 Mcdowell Early College Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcdowell High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Mcdowell Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Mcdowell Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Marion Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcdowell Early College's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,379
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Marion
2 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 (~241 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcdowell Early College's federal record.
- Compare Mcdowell Early College against another school. Compare schools
- Mcdowell 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 Mcdowell Early College
How many students attend Mcdowell Early College?
Mcdowell Early College has 241 students enrolled. It is a high school in Marion, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Early College?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Early College is 20.1:1, which is 27% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdowell Early College?
40.0% of students at Mcdowell Early College are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdowell Early College?
The largest demographic group at Mcdowell Early College is White at 76.3% of enrollment, in Marion, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdowell Early College?
Mcdowell Early College 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 Mcdowell Early College rank among high schools in Marion?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdowell Early College ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Marion, 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 Marion on the city page.
Is Mcdowell Early College a good school?
Mcdowell Early College earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Mcdowell County Schools?
Besides Mcdowell Early College, Mcdowell County Schools also operates Mcdowell High School (1,379 students), West Mcdowell Middle School (550 students), and Glenwood Elementary School (435 students). See the Mcdowell 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.