Madison County Schools & Education
Madison County, North Carolina
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
58/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
91.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.0%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,728
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,969
School Score
58/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#14
of 100 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Madison County
Measured School Summary
Madison County performs at an average level with a school score of 58/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.0%.
Funding Context
At $7,728 per pupil, Madison County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 44% above the North Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Madison County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
7 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
58/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #14 of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data.
Completion
91.0%
3.0 pts above the state average
Funding context
$7,728
$759 above the state average
School coverage
7
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Madison County has 7 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Madison County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Small-system county
Madison County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#14
of 100 North Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 18 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Madison County Schools
Elementary to high school visible
2,108 students
7 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Madison County Schools is the largest listed district slice, with 7 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Madison County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Madison County Composite School Score Surpasses State and National Benchmarks
Education data brief for Madison County, North Carolina.
Madison County reports a composite school score of 57.7, a figure that exceeds the national median of 50.0 and is significantly higher than the North Carolina state average of 40.3. This metric stands as the county's most distinctive data point relative to broader trends. The school system operates with a per-pupil expenditure of $7,728, which is above the state average of $6,969 but remains approximately 40% below the national spending average of $13,000. Public education is administered through a single district, Madison County Schools, which serves 2,108 students across seven schools. The directory shows a predominantly rural school mix, with six of the seven facilities classified as rural and one as suburban. The largest institution by enrollment is Mars Hill Elementary, serving 500 students. The county's graduation rate is 91.0%, which is higher than the state average of 88.0% and the national rate of 87.0%. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
7
in Madison County
Reported Enrollment
2,108
7 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Madison County
Madison County Schools
7 Public Schools in Madison County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 7 of 7 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill Elementary | Record | Madison County Schools | Mars Hill, 28754Suburb: Large | KG–5 | Primary | 500 |
| Madison Middle School | Record | Madison County Schools | Marshall, 28753Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 452 |
| Madison High School | Record | Madison County Schools | Marshall, 28753Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 414 |
| Brush Creek Elementary | Record | Madison County Schools | Marshall, 28753Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 333 |
| Madison Early College High | Record | Madison County Schools | Marshall, 28753Rural: Fringe | 9–UG | High | 249 |
| Hot Springs Elementary | Record | Madison County Schools | Hot Springs, 28743Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 140 |
| Madison Velocity Learning Center | Record | Madison County Schools | Marshall, 28753Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | Alternative | 20 |
Mars Hill Elementary
Madison County Schools
Mars Hill, 28754 / Suburb: Large
Madison Middle School
Madison County Schools
Marshall, 28753 / Rural: Distant
Brush Creek Elementary
Madison County Schools
Marshall, 28753 / Rural: Distant
Madison Early College High
Madison County Schools
Marshall, 28753 / Rural: Fringe
Hot Springs Elementary
Madison County Schools
Hot Springs, 28743 / Rural: Distant
Madison Velocity Learning Center
Madison County Schools
Marshall, 28753 / Rural: Fringe
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,728
State avg $6,969
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Madison County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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What is the graduation rate in Madison County?
How much does Madison County spend per student?
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.