The state of South Carolina is known for many amazing things, from the awesome camps to their awesome hotels. They’re also known for their schools. We’ve discussed a lot about SC schools here on Moms Who Think. We’ve shown you the most expensive schools, the richest schools, and even the oldest schools. Today, we’re going to move on to school districts and tell you about the largest school districts in South Carolina and the facts that make these massive areas so interesting.
Greenville County School District
Of all the school districts in South Carolina, the largest is the Greenville County School District, which consists of 92 schools and a whopping 76,939 students at the time of this writing. This district is located in Greenville, SC, and it’s a public school district that serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. In addition to being one of the largest school districts in South Carolina, it’s also the fourth most diverse school district in the state, the eighth best overall, and the 10th best for student-athletes.
Many of the schools in this district also get incredible scores because the students in them are doing so well. There's 54% reading and 44% math proficiency for the students. While that may not seem immediately impressive, it’s better than many other schools in the country. There’s also an 86% graduation rate.
Charleston County School District
The second largest school district in South Carolina is the Charleston County district, which is home to 82 schools and 49,331 students in grades Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. This is a major district that has been placed on several best-of lists, including the 2024 Niche List of Best Schools. It was listed as #8 for the best teachers, #10 for the best overall school district, and the #10 most diverse school district in the state.
This district is home to many highly performing schools, including Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School, Buist Academy for Advanced Studies, Charleston School of the Arts, Academic Magnet High School, and Wando High School. In addition to being large, this district is also great for having an average student-to-teacher ratio of 13 to 1, which means the kids get individualized attention in class.
Horry County Schools
Next on our list of the largest school districts in South Carolina is the Horry County Schools district. It’s a massive district that’s home to 57 schools, over 46,000 students, and many accolades. This district is considered one of the best when it comes to teaching, diversity, administration, sports, and numerous other metrics. According to the Niche 2024 Best Schools listing, this district rates as #5 overall for teaching in the state and #12 when it comes to the best school districts for athletes in the state.
This amazing district is huge, and it also has many great schools. Some of the best institutions in this area include:
- St. James Elementary School
- Ocean Bay Elementary School
- Socastee Middle
- Ocean Bay Middle School
- HCS Early College High School
- St. James High School
The students here are doing great things, and they’re learning a lot. 54% of the students are proficient in reading and 46% are proficient in math. Plus, there’s an average graduation rate of 83%. The students get an average ACT score of 23 and an average SAT score of 23, both of which are above the average.
Berkeley County School District
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This is not only one of the largest school districts in the state, but it’s also one of the best in the entire Charleston area. This huge district has 46 schools, and they hold just over 37,000 students, and they’re all in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Among other things, this district's claim to fame is its ranking as #3 when it comes to the most diverse districts in the state.
It’s a district that’s home to many well-performing schools. Among them are Howe Hall AIMS Elementary School, Daniel Island School, Philip Simmons Elementary School, Marrington Middle School of the Arts, Berkeley County Middle College High School, and Hanahan High School, among others.
The statistics go down a bit as we get to smaller districts. In the Berkeley County School District, 48% of the students are proficient in reading, but only 35% are proficient in math, still, that’s pretty good when compared to other districts in the country. The district has a great graduation rate of 84%. The average SAT score is 1130, and the average ACT score is 23, both of which are over the average that many colleges look for when considering applicants. The school also boasts a student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1, which is better than the national average of 17:1.
Richland School District No. 1
Next up is Richland School District No. 1, with 48 schools and 22,151 students amongst them all. This district is located in Columbia, South Carolina. There are fewer students here when compared to the number of schools, which partially explains why the average classroom has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1, which means the kids get individualized attention. Some of the most successful schools in this district include:
- Rosewood Elementary School
- Brockman Elementary School
- Crayton Middle School
- Dreher High School
- A.C. Flora High School
Aiken County Public Schools
This next district is located in Aiken, South Carolina, and it consists of 41 schools and just shy of 23,000 students. The students here are all in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. This district gets fairly high marks, 44% of the students are proficient in reading, and 31% are proficient in math. The schools also get good scores for their STEM-focused classes and the great teaching staff. Some of the high-performing schools in this district include:
- Chukker Creek Elementary School
- New Ellenton Middle School
- North Augusta High School
- Aiken Scholars Academy
Richland School District No. 2
With 32 schools and just over 28,000 students, Richland School District No. 2 is the next of the largest school districts in South Carolina. This is a highly-rated school district that gets high marks for diversity, clubs & activities, and college prep. The students are all in grades between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade. They get a pretty good education in this district. As of the time of this writing, 47% of students are proficient in reading, and 35% are proficient in math. This district also has one of the highest graduation rates at 89%, which is quite impressive, especially for such a large district with so many students.
Overall, this district also gets great marks for being a good home to student-athletes, and it’s very diverse. It’s also ranked as the #21 overall school district in the entire state. Some of the most highly applauded schools in this district include:
- Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus
- Round Top Elementary School
- Bookman Road Elementary School
- Blythewood Middle School
- Blythewood High School
- Spring Valley High School
Lexington County School District One
Next on the list is Lexington County School District One, which is home to an incredible 31 schools and is the learning place of close to 28,000 students. Many websites give the schools in this district straight As in everything from academics to diversity and college prep to administration and for the stellar teaching staff.
While it’s not the largest in the state, this district has some of the highest marks of all of them. It’s considered one of the best when it comes to being a home to student-athletes, being one of the best districts to teach, and one of the best overall districts. There are many incredible schools there, including Meadow Glen Elementary School, Lake Murray Elementary School, New Providence Elementary School, Meadow Glen Middle School, River Bluff High School, and Lexington High School, among others.
Overall, the students in this large district are doing rather well. Over 50% of the students are proficient in reading, and over 40% are proficient in math. Also, there’s a high 4-year graduation rate of 91%. The average SAT and ACT scores here are also higher than at many other districts in the state.
Conclusion
These are the largest school districts in South Carolina. In addition to their vast size, many of these districts also boast very impressive numbers when it comes to student progress, teaching, and many other metrics. If you’re a parent in the state, consider enrolling your students in one of these schools, and they have a great chance of success.
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