Is Blue Ridge Early College a good school?

Blue Ridge Early College ranks in the bottom 23.6% of North Carolina high schools.

How many students attend Blue Ridge Early College?

In the 2023-24 school year, 136 students attended Blue Ridge Early College.

What is the racial makeup of Blue Ridge Early College?

Students at Blue Ridge Early College are 54% White, 44% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Blue Ridge Early College?

Blue Ridge Early College is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Blue Ridge School

Blue Ridge Early College

Summary:

Blue Ridge Early College is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Cashiers, North Carolina, with a total enrollment of 132 students. The school is part of the Jackson County Public Schools district, which is ranked 171 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Blue Ridge Early College stands out in several key ways. It has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (36.36%) compared to surrounding schools, which range from 13.33% to 27.83% Hispanic students. Academically, the school's performance on state standardized tests is generally lower than the district and state averages, with significantly lower proficiency rates in Math I (29.6%) and Math III (26.1%) compared to the district (37.5% and 57%, respectively) and the state (36.9% and 57.6%, respectively). The school's performance also varies greatly across different student subgroups, with its Hispanic students ranking 432 out of 454 high schools in North Carolina, while its White students rank 464 out of 553 high schools. Additionally, Blue Ridge Early College has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 74.24% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools.

The school's statewide ranking has been declining over the past few years, from 407 out of 621 high schools in 2021-2022 to 489 out of 640 high schools in 2023-2024, suggesting that its performance is not keeping pace with other high schools in the state. When compared to other high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools district and nearby districts, such as Transylvania County Schools and Macon County Schools, Blue Ridge Early College generally performs worse academically, with lower test scores and rankings.

Detail:

Public 7-12

95 Bobcat Dr
Cashiers, NC 28717

(828) 743-2646

District: Jackson County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
489^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,670

Feeder schools for Blue Ridge Early College:

Elementary:

Blue Ridge School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.8

Number of students: 136

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.4%

Hispanic:

44.1%

Two or more races:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 97.8%

See top rated North Carolina high schools

Compare Blue Ridge Early College to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Blue Ridge Early College ranks worse than 78.9% of middle schools in North Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.93. (See more...)

Compare Details Blue Ridge Early College ranks worse than 76.4% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.18. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (54.4%), Hispanic (44.1%), two or more races (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 97.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Jackson County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Early College is 10.8, which is the 2^nd best among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Blue Ridge Early College employs 12.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blue Ridge Early College is $11,670, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 high schools in the Jackson County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Blue Ridge Early College:

SchoolDigger ranks Blue Ridge Early College 626^th of 793 North Carolina public middle schools. (See Blue Ridge Early College in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Blue Ridge Early College 489^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See Blue Ridge Early College in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Jackson County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson County Public Schools 171^st of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Blue Ridge Early College?

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Rank History for Blue Ridge Early College

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Rank History for all middle school students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	61.82	249^th	741	66.4%
2022	25.09	607^th	786	22.8%
2023	25.15	608^th	784	22.4%
2024	23.93	626^th	793	21.1%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	35.74	452^nd	689	34.4%
2023	25.80	585^th	735	20.4%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	26.10	564^th	733	23.1%
2023	30.95	518^th	731	29.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	24.85	581^st	748	22.3%
2023	23.46	598^th	747	19.9%
2024	34.64	511^th	751	32.0%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	13.12	531^st	564	5.9%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	18.16	587^th	658	10.8%
2023	25.24	524^th	656	20.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Blue Ridge Early College

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Rank History for all high school students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	14.21	521^st	594	12.3%
2022	33.74	407^th	621	34.5%
2023	32.34	413^th	626	34.0%
2024	24.18	489^th	640	23.6%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	33.60	343^rd	544	36.9%
2023	42.10	300^th	597	49.7%
2024	31.58	419^th	613	31.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	36.77	367^th	594	38.2%
2023	25.55	443^rd	588	24.7%
2024	32.81	411^th	602	31.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	46.25	293^rd	585	49.9%
2023	33.25	395^th	602	34.4%
2024	20.67	497^th	607	18.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	49.81	185^th	449	58.8%
2024	13.21	432^nd	454	4.8%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	21.00	446^th	534	16.5%
2023	20.87	458^th	537	14.7%
2024	20.95	464^th	553	16.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Blue Ridge Early College

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	100	2	0	20	1	n/a	n/a	123
2011	106	1	0	25	1	1	2	136
2012	113	1	0	30	1	0	1	146
2013	119	0	0	32	1	0	1	153
2014	129	0	1	30	2	0	0	162
2015	136	0	1	38	2	0	0	177
2016	133	0	1	42	1	0	1	178
2017	132	1	1	47	1	0	1	183
2018	119	1	0	45	1	0	1	167
2019	115	1	0	40	1	0	0	157
2020	107	1	0	47	3	0	2	160
2021	81	1	0	46	2	0	3	133
2022	78	1	0	46	3	0	2	130
2023	80	0	0	48	0	0	4	132
2024	74	0	0	60	0	0	2	136

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Blue Ridge Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	123	12.0	10.2	54.5
2011	136	10.5	12.9	52.9
2012	146	9.5	15.3	56.8
2013	153	9.5	16.1	62.1
2014	162	10.7	15.1	60.5
2015	177	11.0	16.0	62.1
2016	178	12.0	14.8	98.3
2017	183	13.0	14.0	98.4
2018	167	11.9	13.9	97.6
2019	157	12.7	12.2	98.1
2020	160	12.9	12.4	56.3
2021	133	13.4	9.8	35.3
2022	130	12.1	10.7	33.8
2023	132	12.5	10.5	74.2
2024	136	12.5	10.8	97.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Blue Ridge Early College

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	123	12.0	10.2	54.5
2011	136	10.5	12.9	52.9
2012	146	9.5	15.3	56.8
2013	153	9.5	16.1	62.1
2014	162	10.7	15.1	60.5
2015	177	11.0	16.0	62.1
2016	178	12.0	14.8	98.3
2017	183	13.0	14.0	98.4
2018	167	11.9	13.9	97.6
2019	157	12.7	12.2	98.1
2020	160	12.9	12.4	56.3
2021	133	13.4	9.8	35.3
2022	130	12.1	10.7	33.8
2023	132	12.5	10.5	74.2
2024	136	12.5	10.8	97.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Blue Ridge Early College

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$875 (7.5%)	$10,794 (92.5%)	$11,670

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blue Ridge Early College

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Blue Ridge Early College)	66.7	15.8	50.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Jackson County Public Schools)	50.4	44.1	6.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	58.4	50.1	8.3%
7th Grade Reading (Blue Ridge Early College)	70.4	31.6	38.8%
7th Grade Reading (Jackson County Public Schools)	54.1	42.4	11.7%
7th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	58.8	50.2	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Blue Ridge Early College)	35.3	25	10.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Jackson County Public Schools)	45.8	32.3	13.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)	52.6	44.8	7.8%
8th Grade Reading (Blue Ridge Early College)	58.8	41.7	17.1%
8th Grade Reading (Jackson County Public Schools)	50.8	42.2	8.6%
8th Grade Reading (North Carolina)	55.6	51	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Blue Ridge Early College)	47.1	66.7	19.6%
8th Grade Science (Jackson County Public Schools)	77.5	66.1	11.4%
8th Grade Science (North Carolina)	78.6	70.3	8.3%
End of Course Biology (Blue Ridge Early College)	39.5	54.2	14.7%
End of Course Biology (Jackson County Public Schools)	61.1	51	10.1%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (Blue Ridge Early College)	46.9	50	3.1%
End of Course English II (Jackson County Public Schools)	62.7	52.6	10.1%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (Blue Ridge Early College)	21.7	35	13.3%
End of Course Math I (Jackson County Public Schools)	57.7	43.7	14%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (Blue Ridge Early College)	25.6	26.1	0.5%
End of Course Math III (Jackson County Public Schools)	50.7	41.1	9.6%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	157	132	15.9%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	40	48	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	115	80	30.4%
Two or More Races	0	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98.1%	74.2%	23.8%

Schools Near Blue Ridge Early College

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Blue Ridge Early College	Public	7-12	95 Bobcat Dr	Cashiers	28717	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 743-2646	136	13	10.8	97.8%	74 (54.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	24.2	489^th of 640 public high schools	23.6%		32.3	413^th of 626 public high schools	34.0%	76	47.1	47.4	29.6	26.1	46.2	15.8	34.6	31.6	52.6	$11,670	$875	$10,794
Macon Early College High School	Public	9-12	77 Siler Farm Road	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-2002	137	4	34.2	97.8%	92 (67.2%)	1 (0.7%)	36 (26.3%)	4 (2.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	81.7	127^th of 640 public high schools	80.2%		84.2	109^th of 626 public high schools	82.6%	18	69.4	88.6	63.0	82.5						$5,764	$103	$5,661
Franklin High	Public	9-12	100 Panther Drive	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 524-6467	1,036	60	17.3	54.4%	747 (72.1%)	7 (0.7%)	241 (23.3%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.0%)	52.7	283^rd of 640 public high schools	55.8%		53	271^st of 626 public high schools	56.7%	12	49.6	53.0	47.0	77.0						$9,457	$662	$8,795
Bartram Academy	Public	9-12	158 Union School Rd	Franklin	28734	Macon County	Macon County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 369-1277	107	5	23.7	97.2%	76 (71.0%)	1 (0.9%)	19 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.4%)	2.5	628^th of 640 public high schools	1.9%		4.4	606^th of 626 public high schools	3.2%	22	13.8	13.3								$11,469	$453	$11,015
Jackson County Early College	Public	9-12	404 College Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 339-4499	109	4	27.2	39.4%	75 (68.8%)	2 (1.8%)	14 (12.8%)	4 (3.7%)	6 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.3%)	87	103^rd of 640 public high schools	83.9%		90.3	64^th of 626 public high schools	89.8%	39	89.7	100.0	41.2	96.8						$7,254	$111	$7,144
Smoky Mountain High School	Public	9-12	100 Smoky Mountain Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-2177	899	54	16.6	53.4%	625 (69.5%)	11 (1.2%)	176 (19.6%)	9 (1.0%)	40 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.2%)	39.8	372^nd of 640 public high schools	41.9%		37.2	378^th of 626 public high schools	39.6%	6	48.4	53.8	40.6	51.1						$11,017	$880	$10,137
Rosman High	Public	9-12	749 Pickens Hwy	Rosman	28772	Transylvania County	Transylvania County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 862-4284	270	25	10.8	98.9%	242 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	71.2	173^rd of 640 public high schools	73.0%		67	185^th of 626 public high schools	70.4%	12	73.8	61.3	70.1	66.7						$15,137	$1,599	$13,538
Jackson Community School	Public	5-12	3770 Skyland Drive	Sylva	28779	Jackson County	Jackson County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 586-4328	69	9	8.1	95.7%	43 (62.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (10.1%)	4.3	623^rd of 640 public high schools	2.7%					(n/a)	11.8	25.0								$26,010	$1,858	$24,152

Blue Ridge Early College

Blue Ridge Early College:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Jackson County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for all middle school students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for middle school Female students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for middle school Male students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for middle school White students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for all high school students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for high school Female students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for high school Male students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Blue Ridge Early College

Rank History for high school White students at Blue Ridge Early College

Enrollment information for Blue Ridge Early College

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Blue Ridge Early College

Student/Teacher Ratio Blue Ridge Early College

Per Pupil Expenditures for Blue Ridge Early College

Impact of COVID-19 on Blue Ridge Early College

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Blue Ridge Early College

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ridge Early College

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