All rankings · South Carolina
Best South Carolina public schools
Eight rankings of South Carolina's public schools from the latest NCES + state-assessment data. Unlike most school rankings, this list leads with BeatsExpectations: a demographics-adjusted score that asks how a school performs relative to what its student population would predict, not just in absolute terms.
South Carolina schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios
Schools with 200+ students reporting the fewest students per teacher. Excludes virtual.| # | School | City | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burke High | Charleston | 5.6:1 |
| 2 | Lee Central High | Bishopville | 7.2:1 |
| 3 | Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg | Spartanburg | 7.3:1 |
| 4 | Meeting Street Brentwood | North Charleston | 7.4:1 |
| 5 | Whale Branch Middle | Seabrook | 7.6:1 |
| 6 | Mossy Oaks Elementary | Beaufort | 7.8:1 |
| 7 | Allendale-Fairfax High | Fairfax | 7.9:1 |
| 8 | St. Helena Elementary | St. Helena | 8.0:1 |
| 9 | Lady's Island Elementary | Beaufort | 8.0:1 |
| 10 | Meeting Street Elementary | North Charleston | 8.1:1 |
| 11 | Greenview Child Development Center | Greenville | 8.2:1 |
| 12 | Beaufort Elementary | Beaufort | 8.2:1 |
| 13 | Sanders Middle | Laurens | 8.3:1 |
| 14 | Waterloo Elementary | Waterloo | 8.5:1 |
| 15 | Lakes and Bridges Charter School | Easley | 8.6:1 |
Fastest-growing South Carolina public schools, 2017-2024
Schools open in both years with 200+ enrollment in 2017, ranked by % change.| # | School | City | Enrollment Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philip Simmons High | Charleston | +267% |
| 2 | Bridges Preparatory School | Beaufort | +122% |
| 3 | Reidville Elementary | Reidville | +107% |
| 4 | C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Art | Charleston | +96% |
| 5 | Herbert A. Wood Elementary | West Columbia | +90% |
| 6 | Angel Oak Elementary | Johns Island | +89% |
| 7 | Ruldolph G. Gordon School at Jones Mill | Simpsonville | +88% |
| 8 | Indian Land High | Lancaster | +81% |
| 9 | SCDJJ Evaluation and Detention Center | Columbia | +76% |
| 10 | Philip Simmons Middle | Wando | +75% |
| 11 | B. D. Lee Elementary | Gaffney | +73% |
| 12 | Carolina Voyager Charter | Charleston | +65% |
| 13 | Matilda F. Dunston Elementary | North Charleston | +65% |
| 14 | Cannons Elementary | Spartanburg | +59% |
| 15 | Ocean Bay Middle | Myrtle Beach | +59% |
Most racially diverse South Carolina public schools
Schools with 200+ students ranked by diversity index: the chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.| # | School | City | Diversity index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Holly Elementary | Goose Creek | 75.2% |
| 2 | Sugar Creek Elementary | Fort Mill | 74.1% |
| 3 | Eagle Nest Elementary | North Charleston | 73.8% |
| 4 | College Park Middle | Ladson | 73.6% |
| 5 | Springfield Middle | Fort Mill | 73.5% |
| 6 | Dutch Fork Elementary | Irmo | 73.1% |
| 7 | Myrtle Beach Early Childhood | Myrtle Beach | 73.1% |
| 8 | Gold Hill Elementary | Tega Cay | 73.1% |
| 9 | Brook Glenn Elementary | Taylors | 73.0% |
| 10 | Devon Forest Elementary | Goose Creek | 72.8% |
| 11 | Sedgefield Middle | Goose Creek | 72.7% |
| 12 | East Link Academy | Greenville | 72.6% |
| 13 | Broad River Elementary | Beaufort | 72.6% |
| 14 | Goose Creek High | Goose Creek | 72.5% |
| 15 | Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy | Cayce | 72.4% |
Largest South Carolina public schools
Brick-and-mortar schools ranked by total enrollment. Virtual schools excluded.| # | School | City | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorman High | Roebuck | 3,920 |
| 2 | Summerville High | Summerville | 3,361 |
| 3 | Carolina Forest High | Myrtle Beach | 3,176 |
| 4 | Boiling Springs High | Boiling Springs | 2,772 |
| 5 | Clover High | Clover | 2,713 |
| 6 | Stratford High | Goose Creek | 2,605 |
| 7 | Ashley Ridge High | Summerville | 2,599 |
| 8 | Wando High | Mount Pleasant | 2,588 |
| 9 | Lexington High | Lexington | 2,536 |
| 10 | Cane Bay High | Summerville | 2,412 |
| 11 | James F. Byrnes High | Duncan | 2,391 |
| 12 | Fort Dorchester High | North Charleston | 2,344 |
| 13 | Spring Valley High | Columbia | 2,230 |
| 14 | Blythewood High | Blythewood | 2,164 |
| 15 | Spartanburg High | Spartanburg | 2,164 |
About these rankings
These tables use the most recent NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) for enrollment, demographics, and staffing, and state-native assessment data (typically 2023-24 or 2024-25) for proficiency. BeatsExpectations is computed via per-state ordinary-least-squares regression of composite proficiency on free-and-reduced-lunch share. Full methodology.
License: CC-BY 4.0. Reproduce these rankings anywhere with attribution to allk12.com. Press contact: [email protected].
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