6.2 avg / 10

Best Schools in Asheville, North Carolina

54 schools · 26 Elementary · 9 Middle · 11 High · 8 Other

Last updated: May 2026

Public: 34

Private: 20

Districts: 7

Avg Rating: 6.2/10

Estimated Scores: 29%

Family Snapshot

At a glance

Avg school rating: 6.2/10
Median household income: $65,700
Median home value: $422,980
Bachelor's degree or higher: 51%
Avg commute: 19 min
Owner-occupied homes: 56%

How Asheville compares

North Carolina rank

#139 of 253

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

-0.2

below North Carolina avg (6.4)

Median household income

$66k

97% of North Carolina median

Schools in this city

48

About Schools in Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina has 34 ranked public schools, giving families a meaningful range of options across the city. The district's average school score is 6.0 out of 10, and 21 percent of schools — seven in total — score 7 or higher. That spread matters: it means strong options exist, but school quality varies considerably depending on where you live or where you choose to enroll.

Elementary schools lead Asheville's performance picture. Bell Elementary sits at the top of the city with a 9.0 out of 10, making it the highest-rated public school in the area. West Buncombe Elementary (8.7) and Haw Creek Elementary (8.3) follow closely, with Claxton Elementary (8.0) and Lucy S. Herring Elementary (7.8) rounding out the top five. All five clear the 7-point threshold that only 21 percent of Asheville schools reach. Parents targeting elementary-age children have several well-performing options to consider, though these schools draw from specific attendance zones and may require address verification or a transfer request.

The city's 6.0 average reflects a school system with genuine high points but also schools performing closer to the middle of the scale. Families should treat the average as a baseline — useful for context, but not a substitute for looking up the specific score for the school tied to their address. A home in one part of Asheville can mean a very different school assignment than a home a few miles away.

For parents actively comparing schools, Asheville rewards research. Start with Bell Elementary and the other high-scoring elementaries if you have young children and flexibility in where you live. If you're already in a specific neighborhood, pull the score for your assigned school and compare it against the city's 6.0 average and the 7-plus threshold. School ratings on MySchoolScout combine academic performance data into a single comparable score, making side-by-side comparisons faster. Asheville's top-performing schools cluster at the elementary level, so families with middle or high school students should look carefully at individual school pages for the most current data on those grade bands.

Filter by Level: All Levels (54) Elementary (26) Middle (9) High (11)

Filter by Type: All Types (54) Public (34) Private (20)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (54) Academics (54) Growth (32) Diversity (34) Resources (34)

Filter by ZIP: 28806 (23) 28801 (9) 28803 (9) 28804 (9) 28805 (4)

Elementary Schools

26 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Bell Elementary 204 students · Pre-K–5th	204	Pre-K–5th	9.0
2	West Buncombe Elementary 578 students · Kindergarten–4th	578	Kindergarten–4th	8.7
3	Haw Creek Elementary 394 students · Pre-K–5th	394	Pre-K–5th	8.3
4	Claxton Elementary 388 students · Kindergarten–5th	388	Kindergarten–5th	8.0
5	Lucy S. Herring Elementary 270 students · Pre-K–5th	270	Pre-K–5th	7.8
6	Hall Fletcher Elementary 290 students · Pre-K–5th	290	Pre-K–5th	7.3
7	Estes Elementary 790 students · Pre-K–4th	790	Pre-K–4th	7.2
8	Asheville PEAK Academy 168 students · Kindergarten–5th	168	Kindergarten–5th	6.9
9	Isaac Dickson Elementary 375 students · Pre-K–5th	375	Pre-K–5th	6.8
10	Johnston Elementary 184 students · Pre-K–4th	184	Pre-K–4th	6.2
11	Emma Elementary 270 students · Kindergarten–4th	270	Kindergarten–4th	5.9
12	Evergreen Community Charter 437 students · Kindergarten–8th	437	Kindergarten–8th	5.8
13	Oakley Elementary 444 students · Pre-K–5th	444	Pre-K–5th	5.8
14	Sand Hill-Venable Elem 539 students · Pre-K–4th	539	Pre-K–4th	5.8
15	Ira B Jones Elementary 377 students · Pre-K–5th	377	Pre-K–5th	5.1
16	Francine Delany New School 193 students · Kindergarten–8th	193	Kindergarten–8th	4.8
17	Woodfin Elementary 115 students · Kindergarten–5th	115	Kindergarten–5th	4.1
Private Schools 9 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	RAINBOW COMMUNITY SCHOOL Private 164 students · Pre-K–8th	164	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
2	ASHEVILLE WALDORF SCHOOL Private 113 students · Pre-K–7th	113	Pre-K–7th	Not Rated
3	ASHEVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL Private 180 students · Kindergarten–8th	180	Kindergarten–8th	Not Rated
4	EMMANUEL LUTHERAN SCHOOL Private 97 students · Pre-K–8th	97	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
5	THE NEW CLASSICAL ACADEMY Private 66 students · Pre-K–8th	66	Pre-K–8th	Not Rated
6	1 SCHOOL RD Private 1 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten	1	Pre-K–Kindergarten	Not Rated
7	ASHEVILLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL Private 11 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten	11	Pre-K–Kindergarten	Not Rated
8	HAWTHORN MONTESSORI SCHOOL Private 9 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten	9	Pre-K–Kindergarten	Not Rated

Show 1 more elementary schools

9

JULIA STREET MONTESSORI SCHOOL Private

6 students · Pre-K–Kindergarten

Not Rated

Middle Schools

9 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Asheville Middle 543 students · 6th–8th	543	6th–8th	6.8
2	Reynolds Middle 490 students · 6th–8th	490	6th–8th	6.5
3	Koontz Intermediate 680 students · 5th–6th	680	5th–6th	6.5
4	Erwin Middle 536 students · 7th–8th	536	7th–8th	5.2
5	Eblen Intermediate 550 students · 5th–6th	550	5th–6th	5.0
6	Montford North Star Academy 217 students · 6th–8th	217	6th–8th	4.5
Private Schools 3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	FRENCH BROAD RIVER ACADEMY-GIRLS CAMPUS Private 69 students · 6th–8th	69	6th–8th	Not Rated
2	FRENCH BROAD RIVER ACADEMY-BOYS Private 72 students · 6th–8th	72	6th–8th	Not Rated
3	HANGER HALL SCHOOL Private 84 students · 6th–8th	84	6th–8th	Not Rated

High Schools

11 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Nesbitt Discovery Academy 379 students · 9th–12th	379	9th–12th	6.7
2	Asheville High 1,165 students · 9th–12th	1,165	9th–12th	6.5
3	Early College 276 students · 9th–UG	276	9th–UG	6.4
4	Roberson High 1,495 students · 9th–12th	1,495	9th–12th	5.6
5	The Franklin School of Innovation 706 students · 5th–12th	706	5th–12th	5.4
6	School of Inquiry and Life Sciences 352 students · 9th–12th	352	9th–12th	5.3
7	Middle College 38 students · 10th–UG	38	10th–UG	5.3
8	Reynolds High 1,156 students · 9th–12th	1,156	9th–12th	5.2
9	Erwin High 1,052 students · 9th–12th	1,052	9th–12th	3.8
Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	ASHEVILLE SCHOOL Private 296 students · 9th–12th	296	9th–12th	Not Rated
2	THE GOODALE SCHOOL Private 7 students · 8th–12th	7	8th–12th	Not Rated

Other Schools

8 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	IC Imagine 1,218 students · Kindergarten–12th	1,218	Kindergarten–12th	4.4
2	Buncombe County Schools Virtual Academy 280 students · Kindergarten–12th	280	Kindergarten–12th	2.5
Private Schools 6 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	ODYSSEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL Private 141 students · Pre-K–12th	141	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
2	REYNOLDS MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN ACADENY Private 168 students · Kindergarten–12th	168	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
3	CAROLINA DAY SCHOOL Private 566 students · Pre-K–12th	566	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
4	CANTERBURY CLASSICAL SCHOOL Private 123 students · Kindergarten–12th	123	Kindergarten–12th	Not Rated
5	TEMPLE BAPTIST SCHOOL Private 171 students · Pre-K–12th	171	Pre-K–12th	Not Rated
6	ELIADA ACADEMY Private 12 students · 1st–11th	12	1st–11th	Not Rated

Schools in Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina · 54 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 5 ZIP codes

Median Income

$65,700

Median Home Value

$422,980

Median Rent

$1,281/mo

Population

139,361

College Educated

51%

Homeownership

56%

Avg Commute

19 min

Poverty Rate

15.2%

Community Profile

Asheville has a median household income of $65,700. It is a well-educated community where 51% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $422,980, with a median rent of $1,281/month. The area has a poverty rate of 15.2%. Residents enjoy a short average commute of 19 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Quick Facts

State: North Carolina
Total Schools: 54
Elementary: 26
Middle: 9
High: 11
Districts: 7
Avg Rating: 6.2/10

Resources

🔍 Google "Asheville schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Asheville 📊 Niche Asheville Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School Districts (7)

Francine Delany New School

1 school · 193 students

Evergreen Community Charter

1 school · 437 students

Asheville City Schools

9 schools · 3,977 students

The Franklin School of Innovation

1 school · 706 students

Invest Collegiate - Imagine

1 school · 1,218 students

Buncombe County Schools

45 schools · 22,172 students

Asheville PEAK Academy

1 school · 168 students

Nearby Cities

Weaverville (7 schools)

9 mi

Leicester (1 school)

9 mi

Swannanoa (6 schools)

Mills River (3 schools)

13 mi

Barnardsville (1 school)

Black Mountain (4 schools)

15 mi

Etowah (1 school)

19 mi

Hendersonville (23 schools)

18 mi

Canton (5 schools)

16 mi

Other Major Cities in North Carolina

Top metros statewide by school count.

Charlotte 225 schools Raleigh 138 schools Greensboro 95 schools Durham 94 schools Fayetteville 85 schools

How We Rate Schools

Every school receives a composite score from 1 to 10 based on four pillars: Academic Performance (50%), Student Growth (20%), Equity (15%), and Learning Environment (15%). Scores are built from publicly available data including standardized test results, enrollment figures, and school climate indicators.

Read our full methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Asheville, North Carolina

How many schools are in Asheville, North Carolina?

Asheville has 54 schools, including 34 public and 20 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Asheville, North Carolina?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Asheville is 6.2 out of 10, based on academic achievement, student growth, equity, and school environment.

What is the top-ranked school in Asheville, North Carolina?

The top-ranked school in Asheville on MySchoolScout is Bell Elementary with a composite score of 9.0/10.

What is the best elementary school in Asheville, North Carolina?

The top-ranked elementary school in Asheville on MySchoolScout is Bell Elementary with a composite score of 9.0/10.

What is the best middle school in Asheville, North Carolina?

The top-ranked middle school in Asheville on MySchoolScout is Asheville Middle with a composite score of 6.8/10.

What is the best high school in Asheville, North Carolina?

The top-ranked high school in Asheville on MySchoolScout is Asheville School with a composite score of 7.7/10.

How many school districts serve Asheville, North Carolina?

Asheville is served by 7 school districts: Francine Delany New School, Evergreen Community Charter, Asheville City Schools, The Franklin School of Innovation, Invest Collegiate - Imagine, Buncombe County Schools, Asheville Peak Academy.

What is the education level in Asheville, North Carolina?

According to Census data, 51% of adults in Asheville have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Asheville, North Carolina?

The median household income in Asheville is approximately $65,700 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Asheville, North Carolina?

Yes, Asheville has 20 private schools alongside 34 public schools. The top-rated private school is Rainbow Community School with a score of 8.4/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Asheville, North Carolina?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Asheville is 11.4:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Asheville, North Carolina?

MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score based on four components: Academic Achievement, Student Growth, Equity, and School Environment.