Total enrollment
60,410
-10,042 (-14%) vs SY 2017-18
Richland County
South Carolina · Public K-12
Public-school families in Richland County pick from 104 schools serving the county's roughly 60,410 K-12 students, with a mix of 60 elementary, 16 middle, and 24 high.
7-year change in Richland County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
98
-3 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
22%
was 33%
% Hispanic
11%
was 7%
% Black
59%
was 53%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
422,117
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
104
7 districts
Enrollment
60,410
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$63,784
Above South Carolina avg
Free/reduced lunch
·
Enrollment-weighted
Elementary
60
30,480 students
Middle
16
10,515 students
High
24
18,478 students
Combined / other
4
937 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Richland 02
28,841 students · 7 districts in Richland County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Richland 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+
40.7%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
11.5%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.4%
civilian labor
Median age
34
21.6% under 18
Test scores in Richland County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 73 schools ranked. South Carolina state average: 59.7%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Brockman Elementary· 91.1%
- Brennen Elementary· 79.5%
- Satchel Ford Elementary· 79.2%
- River Springs Elementary· 79.0%
- Rosewood Elementary· 78.8%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Alcorn Middle· 25.7%
- Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy· 28.1%
- St. Andrews Middle· 33.1%
- Jackson Creek Elementary· 34.3%
- Burton Pack Elementary· 35.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 2,230 | · |
| Blythewood High | Blythewood | High | 09-12 | 2,164 | · |
| Westwood High | Blythewood | High | 09-12 | 1,743 | · |
| Dutch Fork High | Irmo | High | 09-12 | 1,703 | · |
| Ridge View High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 1,631 | · |
| Richland Northeast High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 1,340 | · |
| A. C. Flora High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 1,328 | · |
| E. L. Wright Middle | Columbia | Elementary | KG-08 | 1,275 | · |
| Muller Road Middle | Blythewood | Elementary | KG-08 | 1,242 | · |
| Summit Parkway Middle | Columbia | Elementary | KG-08 | 1,229 | · |
| Lower Richland High | Hopkins | High | 09-12 | 1,218 | · |
| Dreher High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 1,144 | · |
| Spring Hill High | Chapin | High | 09-12 | 1,118 | · |
| Dent Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 1,059 | · |
| Chapin Middle | Chapin | Middle | 06-08 | 1,007 | · |
| Kelly Mill Middle | Blythewood | Middle | 02-08 | 979 | · |
| Crayton Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 952 | · |
| Pontiac Elementary | Elgin | Elementary | PK-05 | 880 | · |
| Dutch Fork Middle | Irmo | Middle | 06-08 | 876 | · |
| Blythewood Middle | Blythewood | Middle | 06-08 | 872 | · |
| Brennen Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 805 | · |
| Longleaf Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 796 | · |
| Hand Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 755 | · |
| Lake Murray Elementary | Chapin | Elementary | KG-04 | 753 | · |
| Satchel Ford Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | KG-05 | 721 | · |
| Rice Creek Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 718 | · |
| Caughman Road Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 715 | · |
| Bethel-Hanberry Elementary | Blythewood | Elementary | PK-05 | 711 | · |
| Killian Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 699 | · |
| Columbia High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 681 | · |
| W.J. Keenan High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 675 | · |
| Sandlapper Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 671 | · |
| Polo Road Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 665 | · |
| North Springs Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 659 | · |
| Forest Lake Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 652 | · |
| Catawba Trail Elementary | Elgin | Elementary | PK-05 | 636 | · |
| Langford Elementary | Blythewood | Elementary | PK-05 | 631 | · |
| St. Andrews Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 627 | · |
| Meadowfield Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 615 | · |
| Round Top Elementary | Blythewood | Elementary | PK-05 | 581 | · |
| Windsor Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 579 | · |
| Horrell Hill Elementary | Hopkins | Elementary | PK-05 | 565 | · |
| Bridge Creek Elementary | Elgin | Elementary | PK-05 | 564 | · |
| H. E. Corley Elementary | Irmo | Elementary | PK-05 | 557 | · |
| Jackson Creek Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 551 | · |
| Eau Claire High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 542 | · |
| L. B. Nelson Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 541 | · |
| Bookman Road Elementary | Elgin | Elementary | PK-05 | 535 | · |
| Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus | Blythewood | Elementary | PK-02 | 531 | · |
| Ballentine Elementary | Irmo | Elementary | PK-05 | 523 | · |
| Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus | Blythewood | Elementary | 03-05 | 523 | · |
| W. G. Sanders Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 503 | · |
| Pine Grove Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 501 | · |
| Watkins-Nance Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 499 | · |
| L. W. Conder Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 489 | · |
| Oak Pointe Elementary | Irmo | Elementary | PK-05 | 484 | · |
| Sandel Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 479 | · |
| Clear Dot Charter School | Columbia | Combined | PK-11 | 474 | · |
| Joseph Keels Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 465 | · |
| Southeast Middle | Hopkins | Middle | 06-08 | 462 | · |
| Hopkins Middle | Hopkins | Middle | 06-08 | 458 | · |
| Dutch Fork Elementary | Irmo | Elementary | PK-05 | 442 | · |
| Forest Heights Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 435 | · |
| SC Whitmore School | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 431 | · |
| H. B. Rhame Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 418 | · |
| Carver-Lyon Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 417 | · |
| SCDJJ Evaluation and Detention Center | Columbia | Combined | 04-12 | 417 | · |
| River Springs Elementary | Irmo | Elementary | PK-05 | 416 | · |
| Bradley Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 392 | · |
| Alcorn Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 381 | · |
| A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 358 | · |
| Mill Creek Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 353 | · |
| J. P. Thomas Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 346 | · |
| C. A. Johnson High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 344 | · |
| Rosewood Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | KG-05 | 338 | · |
| W. A. Perry Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 320 | · |
| Hyatt Park Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 317 | · |
| Annie Burnside Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 306 | · |
| Brockman Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 297 | · |
| Hopkins Elementary | Hopkins | Elementary | PK-05 | 284 | · |
| GREEN Charter School Midlands | Irmo | Elementary | KG-08 | 258 | · |
| Burton Pack Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 255 | · |
| Heyward Gibbes Middle | Columbia | Middle | 06-08 | 252 | · |
| A. C. Moore Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 244 | · |
| Logan Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 237 | · |
| South Kilbourne Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 234 | · |
| Edward E. Taylor Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 217 | · |
| Arden Elementary | Columbia | Elementary | PK-05 | 216 | · |
| Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy | Columbia | Middle | 02-08 | 216 | · |
| Webber School | Eastover | Elementary | PK-05 | 209 | · |
| Gadsden Elementary | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 133 | · |
| Carolina School for Inquiry | Columbia | Elementary | PK-06 | 114 | · |
| Richland One Charter Middle College | Columbia | High | 11-12 | 106 | · |
| Pendergrass Fairwold School | Columbia | Combined | KG-12 | 46 | · |
| Kirkland High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 42 | · |
| Broad River High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 28 | · |
| Sara Babb High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 8 | · |
| Manning High | Columbia | High | 09-12 | 2 | · |
| Center for Advanced Technical Studies | Chapin | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Empowerment and Enrichment Academy | Columbia | High | 05-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Richland County
About Richland County
Richland County is a high-population county of about 422,117 residents in South Carolina. Its public-school system educates approximately 60,410 students across 104 schools.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $63,784, roughly 41% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 8% noticeably above the South Carolina median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Richland County covers 60 elementary schools (30,480 students), 16 middle schools (10,515), 24 high schools (18,478), and 4 combined or other schools.
Richland 02 is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 28,841 students across Richland County.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment decreased 14%: 70,452 students in SY 2017-18 versus 60,410 in SY 2024-25. The school count fell from 101 to 98 across the same 7-year window. The White share of public-school enrollment fell from 33% to 22%.
On allk12, the community for Richland County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Richland County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data