French Broad River Academy Photo #0 - Our mission: to build character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership. To accomplish the mission, our students have daily opportunities to experience, challenge, failure, and earned success in a supportive environment.

French Broad River Academy

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French Broad River Academy Photo #1 - Our mission: to build character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership. To accomplish the mission, our students have daily opportunities to experience, challenge, failure, and earned success in a supportive environment.
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French Broad River Academy Photo #1 - Our mission: to build character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership. To accomplish the mission, our students have daily opportunities to experience, challenge, failure, and earned success in a supportive environment.
French Broad River Academy Photo #2 - Annual trips to Costa Rica offer all FBRA students the chance to experience life in another culture, take their Spanish language skills beyond the classroom, and have truly life-changing experiences. We are the only middle school in our area that takes all students abroad for all three years.
French Broad River Academy Photo #3 - French Broad River Academy's academics are engagingly experiential, interdisciplinary, and student-centered. Our curriculum goes beyond Common Core and NC State Standards, with all students on track to complete high school level Math I, Spanish I, and Biology upon graduation.
French Broad River Academy Photo #4 - FBRA's outdoor educational experiences include whitewater paddling, rock climbing, skiing, field science, service learning, and campcraft. We meet or exceed outdoor industry standards for safety, and we are the online middle school in our area accredited by the Association of Experiential Education.
French Broad River Academy Photo #5 - Arts and electives offer students the chance to explore creative pursuits. Our music program culminates with a spring student rock concert at The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville.
French Broad River Academy Photo #6 - We instill advanced writing skills and literacy, and we incorporate public speaking and presentation skills across all subjects.
French Broad River Academy Photo #7 - Teaching approaches grounded in critical thinking and problem solving lead to high levels of student engagement. When our students go to high school, families and teachers report that they are so much more prepared in every way than their peers from other schools.
French Broad River Academy Photo #8 - Multiple overnight camping trips throughout the year provide opportunities for in-depth outdoor experiences and the capacity to develop stronger relationships, teamwork, and resilience.
French Broad River Academy Photo #9 - Learning about the French Broad River watershed is woven into our curriculum, both in and out of the classroom. When students learn to appreciate and understand where they live, they will be better stewards of it in years to come.
French Broad River Academy Photo #10 - Both campuses are located just north of Asheville's city center in Woodfin on a flat, calm stretch of the French Broad River. Here, students and staff can easily and immediately access the river for academic field work and research, whitewater canoe instruction, and conservation and service projects (above - students doing river clean up).
We offer two single-gender middle-school (grades 6-8) campuses, one for girls and one for boys.
We prepare students for success in high school, college, and the increasingly competitive world beyond by combining a rigorous academic curriculum with relevant, purposeful learning experiences on the French Broad River, its surrounding watershed, and international field experiences.

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: School with Special Program Emphasis
  • Grades: 6-8
  • Enrollment: 144 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $21,950
  • Average class size: 12 students
  • Application Deadline: Dec. 1 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

School Overview

School Membership(s)School Assoc.
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades 6-8
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Year Founded
2009

Student Body

Total Students
144 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Students by Grade
French Broad River Academy Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
26 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
National avg.: 13:1
Average Class Size
12 students
List of Courses Offered
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
polo shirt, khakis

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
Dec. 1 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
Tuition Notes
Tuition includes all school materials, textbooks, a laptop for in-school use, certain uniform items, some meals, and all domestic field lessons, overnight trips, and the Costa Rica International Field Experience.
% on Financial Aid
11%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$4,500
Admissions Associate
Elizabeth Douglas

Sports

Total Sports Offered
3 sports

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
8 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Club or Organization:
MATHCOUNTS Team

Arts and Music Programs:
Art Club, Drama Club, Music Lessons

Recreational Athletic Programs:
Climbing, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Tennis/Pickleball

School Notes

  • Our mission is to build character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership.
  • We offer two middle-school (grades 6-8) campuses, one for girls and one for boys. We prepare students for success in high school, college, and the increasingly competitive world beyond by combining a rigorous academic curriculum with relevant, purposeful learning experiences on the French Broad River, its surrounding watershed, and international locations.
  • The result of the FBRA experience is young people who are mature, confident, respectful, grounded, and upstanding, who are comfortable speaking in public, at ease in leadership positions, and happy working independently or with others. Involved in their communities, FBRA students display integrity and awareness, and become ready not just to succeed in world, but poised to actively, positively contribute to it.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does French Broad River Academy cost?
French Broad River Academy's tuition is approximately $21,950 for private students.
What schools are French Broad River Academy often compared to?
French Broad River Academy is often viewed alongside schools like Carolina Day School by visitors of our site.
What sports does French Broad River Academy offer?
French Broad River Academy offers 3 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Intramural Sports Only and Ultimate Frisbee.
When is the application deadline for French Broad River Academy?
The application deadline for French Broad River Academy is Dec. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Dec. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (6 reviews)
5  
Both my son and daughter were fortunate enough to attend the French Broad River Academy. I cannot say enough about this program, its staff, and the positive impact it continues to have on my children. They were incredibly prepared to excel in their Honors and AP classes in high school. The outdoor and international programming stretched my children in numerous ways. They learned the invaluable skills of teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking. They pushed themselves to go outside of their comfort zone in various scenarios and gained confidence and compassion that will serve them for a lifetime. As current college students, many achievements and celebrations can be traced back to the guidance and opportunities they experienced at The French Broad River Academy, and for that, I am forever grateful.
- Posted by
5  
My son graduated from FBRA 5 years ago. He learned to be organized, to work with others, and to accomplish tasks; and he grew tremendously as an academic student. He also became more comfortable in the outdoors and developed a passion for skiing that has only grown since his middle school years. I am super grateful that we made the decision to send him to FBRA.
- Posted by
5  
I have two girls who have/are attending the girls school. It has been a great fit for our family. The teachers are outstanding and really teach to the whole child. The academics are challenging, but teachers meet the student where she is. The outdoor portion provides amazing experiences and opportunities to grow and learn outside the classroom. Would highly recommend it.
- Posted by
5  
We have been extremely pleased with both the boy's and girls' programs at French Broad River Academy. The teachers passionately lead the students in academics and outside education, based on the principles of the school - learning, service, and leadership. Our children have grown emotionally, and academically, and built lifelong confidence that they will carry with them throughout their lives. I can't recommend FBRA enough as a fantastic choice for middle school!
- Posted by
5  
This has been a most excellent experience for our son. He is excelling academically and is so interested in the subject matter that they work on in class. The teachers are extraordinary, both in the classroom and out in the field. Their leadership and mentorship is what really sets this school apart from other options.
- Posted by
5  
The teachers and staff passionately execute FBRA's goals of serving the whole child, having an incredible outdoor experiential model, and setting high academic standards. I am consistently amazed at how much the school accomplishes each week fitting a quality academic education into such a robust agenda. Our children learn executive functioning skills (public speaking, typing, conflict resolution, etc), social-emotional skills, and outdoor skills (paddling, hiking, skiing, etc) and gain an understanding and appreciation for community service and environmental issues. It is incredible to watch my girls take full ownership of so many responsibilities such as packing their gear for overnight camping trips, monitoring and completing homework, and advocating for themselves and the community. They have strong connections with each teacher through the unique experience of having the same teachers in the academic, music, and outdoor classrooms. FBRA is truly a unique school that provides an atmosphere that elevates both academic and real-life learning!
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: School with Special Program Emphasis
  • Grades: 6-8
  • Enrollment: 144 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $21,950
  • Average class size: 12 students
  • Application Deadline: Dec. 1 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Asheville, NC is $14,343 for elementary schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Asheville, NC is 73% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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