About Our Early College

We are...
• a non-traditional Buncombe County High School located on the campus of A-B Tech in partnership with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
• an application-based program that seeks to recruit students who may otherwise have difficulty attending college, particularly those who are from low-income families and those who will be the first in their families to earn a college degree
• a rigorous 4 or 5-year academic program designed for students to earn a high school diploma and a college associate degree under a comprehensive program of social, emotional and academic support
• open to all rising 9th graders who live in a Buncombe County Schools district

BCEC Is Changing Possibilities
Buncombe County Early College is changing the future – for students who will graduate well-prepared and for a state that needs a well-educated workforce like never before. This small, innovative school sets expectations high for all students, including those often left under served, with an accelerated approach that blends high school with the first two years of college. Students have the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or two years of transferable college credit – all at no cost to their families.