Enrollment
649
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Black Mountain, NC
Owen High
Federal NCES profile for Owen High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370045000142
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Owen High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Black Mountain · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 44.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Owen High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Owen High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Black Mountain, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000142 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Owen High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Owen High
Owen High is a mid-sized high school in Black Mountain, North Carolina, enrolling 649 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 649 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 478 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #76.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.5% 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: 130 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 649 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Owen 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 Owen High compares
Owen 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▼ 33% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 649 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
649
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 36% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.5%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 82 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 71.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 3.9%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.0, Owen High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Owen 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 Owen High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Owen 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
- 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 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 (~649 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Owen High's federal record.
- Compare Owen 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 Owen High
How many students attend Owen High?
Owen High has 649 students enrolled. It is a high school in Black Mountain, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Owen High?
The student-teacher ratio at Owen High is 14.1:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% 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 Owen High?
44.1% of students at Owen High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Owen High?
The largest demographic group at Owen High is White at 71.8% of enrollment, in Black Mountain, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Owen High?
Owen High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Owen High rank among public schools in Black Mountain?
By Resource Investment Index, Owen High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Black Mountain, 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 Black Mountain on the city page.
Is Owen High a good school?
Owen High earns 46/100 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 Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Owen 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.