Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Buncombe County Schools

This page covers 10 high schools in Buncombe County Schools. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

10
Schools Ranked
North Carolina
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 10
1
rank
Nesbitt Discovery Academy
Grades 09–12374 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%)
73
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
19.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
2
rank
Erwin High
Grades 09–121,096 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
68
/100
Graduation Rate
80%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
14.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
3
rank
Reynolds High
Grades 09–121,133 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%)
66
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
4
rank
Roberson High
Grades 09–121,491 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
65
/100
Graduation Rate
89%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
45/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
5
rank
Enka High
Grades 09–121,045 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%)
64
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
6
rank
Owen High
Grades 09–12689 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
62
/100
Graduation Rate
87%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
14.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
7
rank
North Buncombe High
Grades 09–12956 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
61
/100
Graduation Rate
84%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
8
rank
Middle College
Grades 11–1349 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
61
/100
Graduation Rate
87%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
15.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
31/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
9
rank
Early College
Grades 09–13274 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%)
58
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
23.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
31/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
10
rank
Community High School
Grades 09–12119 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (7.0:1)
54
/100
Graduation Rate
52%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
7.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$14,785
Near nat'l avg
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
10
High Schools
45
Total Schools
73
#1 Score
63
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Nesbitt Discovery Academy
Score: 73/10098% graduation
Compare Buncombe County Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.