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McDowell County Schools Schools
McDowell County Schools is a public school district in North Carolina, based in McDowell County (Marion). SchoolGrade grades 15 of its schools on actual versus projected test scores; every school below has its own page.
McDowell County Schools on the map
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.
SchoolGrade summary for McDowell County Schools
14 of 15 schools in McDowell County Schools carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 3B: 4C: 3D: 4
Best schools in McDowell County Schools
Statewide rankings: all 608 high schools in North Carolina · all 453 middle schools in North Carolina · all 1409 elementary schools in North Carolina
The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.
- A Mcdowell Academy For Innovation (High school, meets expectations)
- A Mcdowell Early College (High school, exceeds expectations)
- A Foothills Community School (Middle school, exceeds expectations)
- B+ Old Fort Elementary School (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- B- Eastfield Global Magnet School (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- B- Marion Elementary School (Elementary school, doesn't meet expectations)
- B- Pleasant Gardens Elementary School (Elementary school, doesn't meet expectations)
- C+ Nebo Elementary School (Elementary school, meets expectations)
- C West Marion Elementary School (Elementary school, doesn't meet expectations)
- C West Mcdowell Middle School (Middle school, underperforms expectations)
Every school in McDowell County Schools
High schools (1)
- D+ Mcdowell High School, Marion
Middle and junior high schools (2)
- D+ East Mcdowell Middle School, Marion
- C West Mcdowell Middle School, Marion
Elementary and primary schools (8)
- D+ Glenwood Elementary School, Marion
- B- Marion Elementary School, Marion
- A Mcdowell Early College, Marion
- C+ Nebo Elementary School, Nebo
- D+ North Cove Elementary School, Marion
- B+ Old Fort Elementary School, Old Fort
- B- Pleasant Gardens Elementary School, Marion
- C West Marion Elementary School, Marion
Other schools and academies (4)
- B- Eastfield Global Magnet School, Marion
- A Foothills Community School, Marion
- A Mcdowell Academy For Innovation, Marion
- Mcdowell Virtual Academy, Marion
Where McDowell County Schools schools are
About this district
- State: Best schools in North Carolina
- County: McDowell County
- Type: regular local school district
- Setting: fringe rural (NCES locale of the district office)
- Enrollment: 5,661 students with 392 full-time-equivalent teachers and 853 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
- NCES district ID: 3702940
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works
Nearby school districts
- Burke County Schools (26 schools, 20 mi)
- Yancey County Schools (7 schools, 20 mi)
- Rutherford County Schools (18 schools, 21 mi)
- Mitchell County Schools (7 schools, 24 mi)
- Buncombe County Schools (45 schools, 27 mi)
- Avery County Schools (8 schools, 28 mi)
- Asheville City Schools (9 schools, 28 mi)
- Polk County Schools (7 schools, 29 mi)
Questions about McDowell County Schools
How many schools are in McDowell County Schools?
SchoolGrade grades 15 public schools in McDowell County Schools, across 3 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.
Which cities does McDowell County Schools serve?
The largest by graded schools: Marion, Nebo, Old Fort.
How good are the schools in McDowell County Schools?
Across the 14 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is C+, with 58.4% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 58.1%. 43% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.
How many students attend McDowell County Schools?
5,661 students were enrolled in McDowell County Schools in the 2023-24 school year, about 14.4 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).
Where is McDowell County Schools?
McDowell County Schools is in North Carolina, based in McDowell County, with its district office in Marion. Its boundary covers about 440 sq mi.