Total enrollment
54,127
+2,776 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
Charleston County
South Carolina · Public K-12
Charleston County operates 98 public K-12 schools inside South Carolina, with combined enrollment of approximately 55,933 (about 571 students per school). By grade band, the county runs 57 elementary, 12 middle, and 25 high schools.
7-year change in Charleston County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
90
+4 (+5%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
50%
was 49%
% Hispanic
16%
was 9%
% Black
28%
was 37%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
420,264
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
98
5 districts
Enrollment
55,933
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$88,494
Above South Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
64.1%
Below South Carolina avg
Elementary
57
28,682 students
Middle
12
8,632 students
High
25
18,046 students
Combined / other
4
573 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Charleston 01
52,009 students · 5 districts in Charleston County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Charleston County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
50.3%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.5%
civilian labor
Median age
39
19.5% under 18
Test scores in Charleston County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 65 schools ranked. South Carolina state average: 59.7%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Buist Academy· 99.0%
- Belle Hall Elementary· 95.7%
- Charleston School of the Arts· 93.6%
- Montessori Community School· 93.0%
- Charles Pinckney Elementary· 91.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Mitchell Elementary· 21.6%
- Matilda F. Dunston Elementary· 22.1%
- Morningside Middle· 24.0%
- A. C. Corcoran Elementary· 24.2%
- Baptist Hill High· 25.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Mount Pleasant | High | 09-12 | 2,588 | · |
| R. B. Stall High | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 2,135 | · |
| West Ashley High | Charleston | High | 09-12 | 2,069 | · |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Mt. Pleasant | High | 09-12 | 1,757 | · |
| James Island Charter High | Charleston | High | 09-12 | 1,612 | · |
| C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Art | Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 1,299 | · |
| Orange Grove Charter School | Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 1,170 | · |
| Meeting Street Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 1,153 | · |
| Moultrie Middle | Mount Pleasant | Middle | 06-08 | 1,130 | · |
| Thomas C. Cario Middle | Mt. Pleasant | Middle | 06-08 | 1,105 | · |
| Charleston School of the Arts | North Charleston | High | 06-12 | 1,102 | · |
| Jennie Moore Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-05 | 993 | · |
| Laing Middle | Mount Pleasant | Middle | 06-08 | 986 | · |
| Carolina Park Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | KG-05 | 931 | · |
| Ladson Elementary | Ladson | Elementary | PK-05 | 907 | · |
| Camp Road Middle | Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 901 | · |
| Stiles Point Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 866 | · |
| North Charleston High | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 829 | · |
| Angel Oak Elementary | Johns Island | Elementary | PK-05 | 828 | · |
| Meeting Street Brentwood | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 806 | · |
| St. Andrew's School of Math and Science | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 769 | · |
| James B. Edwards Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-05 | 767 | · |
| Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-05 | 767 | · |
| Pinehurst Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | 01-05 | 758 | · |
| A. C. Corcoran Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 743 | · |
| Academic Magnet High | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 740 | · |
| Northwoods Middle | North Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 708 | · |
| Laurel Hill Primary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-02 | 691 | · |
| Springfield Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 679 | · |
| Oceanside Collegiate Academy | Mount Pleasant | High | 09-12 | 653 | · |
| Belle Hall Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-05 | 649 | · |
| Charles Pinckney Elementary | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | 03-05 | 644 | · |
| Drayton Hall Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 640 | · |
| Mt. Pleasant Academy | Mount Pleasant | Elementary | PK-05 | 630 | · |
| Oceanside Collegiate Academy | Mt. Pleasant | High | 09-12 | 623 | · |
| Harbor View Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 621 | · |
| Lowcountry Acceleration Academy | N Charleston | High | 09-12 | 619 | · |
| Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 618 | · |
| James Island Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 580 | · |
| Lambs Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 580 | · |
| Charleston Charter School for Math and Science | Charleston | High | 06-12 | 573 | · |
| Matilda F. Dunston Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 569 | · |
| Oakland Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 556 | · |
| Morningside Middle | North Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 552 | · |
| Buist Academy | Charleston | Middle | 03-08 | 521 | · |
| Lowcountry Leadership Charter School | Meggett | Combined | KG-12 | 520 | · |
| Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | North Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 513 | · |
| Baptist Hill High | Hollywood | High | 06-12 | 507 | · |
| Palmetto Scholars Academy | North Charleston | High | 06-12 | 507 | · |
| Sullivan's Island Elementary | Sullivan'S Island | Elementary | PK-05 | 497 | · |
| Hunley Park Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 487 | · |
| Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 471 | · |
| Pepperhill Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 453 | · |
| Memminger Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 438 | · |
| East Cooper Montessori Charter | Mt. Pleasant | Elementary | PK-08 | 433 | · |
| W. B. Goodwin Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 423 | · |
| Haut Gap Middle | Johns Island | Middle | 06-08 | 412 | · |
| Carolina Voyager Charter | Charleston | Elementary | KG-08 | 402 | · |
| North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 399 | · |
| Military Magnet Academy | North Charleston | High | 06-12 | 393 | · |
| James Simons Montessori | Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 392 | · |
| St. Johns High | Johns Island | High | 09-12 | 390 | · |
| Sanders-Clyde Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 369 | · |
| E.B. Ellington Elementary | Ravenel | Elementary | PK-05 | 366 | · |
| Midland Park Primary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-KG | 357 | · |
| Murray-LaSaine Montessori | Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 347 | · |
| Burke High | Charleston | High | 09-12 | 342 | · |
| Stono Park Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 337 | · |
| North Charleston Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 329 | · |
| Chicora Elementary | North Charleston | Elementary | 01-05 | 316 | · |
| Deer Park Middle | North Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 315 | · |
| GREEN Charter School Lowcountry | N Charleston | Elementary | KG-08 | 301 | · |
| Meeting Street at Burns | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 295 | · |
| Mt. Zion Elementary | Johns Island | Elementary | PK-05 | 295 | · |
| Montessori Community School | Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 280 | · |
| Allegro Charter School of Music | North Charleston | High | 06-12 | 250 | · |
| Mary Ford Early Childhood Learning and Family Center | North Charleston | Elementary | PK-KG | 244 | · |
| Simmons Pinckney Middle | Charleston | Middle | 06-08 | 190 | · |
| Mitchell Elementary | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 188 | · |
| Charleston Progressive | Charleston | Elementary | PK-05 | 184 | · |
| Cape Romain Environmental Education Charter School | Mcclellanville | Elementary | PK-08 | 181 | · |
| Minnie Hughes Elementary | Yonges Island | Elementary | PK-05 | 174 | · |
| Learn4Life High School-Charleston | N Charleston | High | 09-12 | 169 | · |
| St. James Santee Elementary-Middle | Mcclellanville | Elementary | PK-08 | 167 | · |
| Edith L. Frierson Montessori | Wadmalaw Island | Elementary | PK-08 | 165 | · |
| Compass Collegiate Academy | N Charleston | Elementary | KG-04 | 155 | · |
| Charleston Development Academy | Charleston | Elementary | PK-08 | 151 | · |
| Berkeley County Middle College High | Charleston | High | 11-12 | 117 | · |
| Jane Edwards Elementary | Edisto Island | Elementary | PK-06 | 92 | · |
| Movement School Bridge View | North Charleston | Elementary | KG-01 | 79 | · |
| Greg Mathis Charter High | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 71 | · |
| Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education | Charleston | Combined | PK-12 | 53 | · |
| Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies | Mount Pleasant | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Palmetto Excel | North Charleston | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| West Ashley Center for Advance Studies | Charleston | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Charleston Advancement Academy High School | Charleston | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Gates School | Mt. Pleasant | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Charleston County
Charleston31 schoolsNorth Charleston31 schoolsMt. Pleasant12 schoolsMount Pleasant6 schoolsJohns Island4 schoolsN Charleston4 schoolsMcclellanville2 schoolsEdisto Island1 schoolHollywood1 schoolLadson1 schoolMeggett1 schoolRavenel1 schoolSullivan'S Island1 schoolWadmalaw Island1 schoolYonges Island1 school
About Charleston County
Across the expansive South Carolina county of Charleston County of about 420,264 residents, the public-school footprint covers 98 schools and about 55,933 students.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show the median household earns about $88,494 a year, about 50% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 50% noticeably above the South Carolina median.
For a sense of the school types, Charleston County is built around 57 elementary schools (28,682 students), 12 middle schools (8,632), 25 high schools (18,046), and 4 combined or other schools.
Charleston 01 is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 52,009 students across Charleston County.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 54,127 students, rose 5% from the 51,351 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Charleston County gained 4 schools, going from 86 to 90. On the demographic side, Black enrollment moved from 37% to 28% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Charleston County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Charleston County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data