SCSouth Carolina rankings

Towns with the best public schools in South Carolina

Ranked by how far each town's public schools score above or below the South Carolina average in math and reading proficiency, weighted by enrollment. 141 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-yearTest scores SY2020–21

South Carolina · Best schools

Baxter Village ranks #3 of 141

+31.8 pts vs. the SC average in math + reading · Visit Baxter Village →

1 Lake Murray of Richland +36.8 pts Math 78% · Reading 82%

2 Clemson +32.3 pts Math 76% · Reading 75% 3 Baxter Village +31.8 pts Math 73% · Reading 77%

#Townvs. state averageMathReading

Lake Murray of RichlandLexington 05 +36.8 pts 78% 82%

ClemsonPickens 01 +32.3 pts 76% 75%

3 Baxter VillageYork 04 +31.8 pts 73% 77%

4 Five ForksGreenville 01 +31.3 pts 75% 74%

Tega CayYork 04 +30.5 pts 73.4% 74%

BlythewoodRichland 02 +30.5 pts 66.1% 81.4%

Mount PleasantCharleston 01 +28.9 pts 76% 68.1%

8 Boiling SpringsSpartanburg 02 +27.8 pts 60.9% 81.1%

9 PowdersvilleAnderson 01 +27.5 pts 69.3% 72.1%

10 Carolina ForestHorry 01 +26.0 pts 66.2% 72.1%

11 Wade HamptonGreenville 01 +24.4 pts 64.5% 70.6%

White KnollLexington 01 +22.8 pts 47% 85%

MauldinGreenville 01 +20.0 pts 57.3% 69.1%

LexingtonLexington 01 +19.3 pts 54% 71%

Fort MillYork 04 +19.1 pts 66.3% 58.3%

Travelers RestGreenville 01 +18.4 pts 48.4% 74.8%

SocasteeHorry 01 +17.8 pts 51.3% 70.7%

North Myrtle BeachHorry 01 +17.8 pts 62% 60%

AbbevilleAbbeville 60 +17.8 pts 60.6% 61.4%

20 LesslieYork 03 +17.5 pts 52.8% 68.7%

21 LugoffKershaw 01 +17.4 pts 53.2% 68.1%

WilliamstonAnderson 01 +15.5 pts 57.7% 59.7%

TaylorsGreenville 01 +15.3 pts 52.7% 64.3%

BlufftonBeaufort 01 +15.2 pts 54.7% 62%

GreerGreenville 01 +14.6 pts 50.9% 64.6%

26 SpringdaleLexington 02 +13.8 pts 62% 52%

27 Litchfield BeachGeorgetown 01 +13.6 pts 55.3% 58.3%

Hilton Head IslandBeaufort 01 +13.5 pts 53.3% 60%

CharlestonCharleston 01 +12.8 pts 50.9% 61.1%

SimpsonvilleGreenville 01 +11.5 pts 46.2% 63.2%

WoodruffSpartanburg 04 +11.4 pts 53.4% 55.9%

32 Garden CityHorry 01 +11.3 pts 52% 57%

Forest AcresRichland 01 +11.1 pts 43.9% 64.8%

GreenvilleGreenville 01 +10.8 pts 46.7% 61.2%

DuncanSpartanburg 05 +10.8 pts 39.6% 68.4%

36 James IslandCharleston 01 +10.3 pts 50% 57%

InmanSpartanburg 01 +10.2 pts 43.6% 63.3%

38 HanahanBerkeley 01 +9.5 pts 47.1% 58.3%

Ninety SixGreenwood 52 +9.3 pts 41.3% 63.7%

40 ForestbrookHorry 01 +9.2 pts 50.7% 54.1%

LorisHorry 01 +8.6 pts 44.8% 58.7%

North AugustaAiken 01 +8.5 pts 44.3% 59.2%

FlorenceFlorence 01 +8.4 pts 41.7% 61.4%

SummervilleDorchester 02 +8.1 pts 43.1% 59.5%

SenecaOconee 01 +7.5 pts 46.2% 55.2%

WoodfieldRichland 02 +7.2 pts 35.6% 65.2%

47 EasleyPickens 01 +6.5 pts 43.5% 56%

ConwayHorry 01 +6.4 pts 43% 56.2%

49 BelvedereAiken 01 +5.8 pts 48% 50%

AndersonAnderson 05 +5.5 pts 48.8% 48.5%

Goose CreekBerkeley 01 +4.9 pts 39.7% 56.6%

Fountain InnGreenville 01 +4.3 pts 48% 47%

BeaufortBeaufort 01 +4.0 pts 36.9% 57.4%

CloverYork 02 +3.8 pts 48.7% 45.3%

BurnettownAiken 01 +3.8 pts 30.6% 63.5%

CamdenKershaw 01 +3.6 pts 35.5% 58.1%

LibertyPickens 01 +3.6 pts 38.5% 55.1%

Rock HillYork 03 +3.2 pts 39.1% 53.6%

West ColumbiaCharter Institute at Erskine +3.1 pts 41.3% 51.3%

Port RoyalSC Public Charter School District +3.1 pts 38.9% 53.6%

SpartanburgSpartanburg 07 +2.9 pts 43% 49.2%

BereaGreenville 01 +2.9 pts 39.1% 53.1%

IrmoLexington 05 +2.7 pts 42.4% 49.4%

DarlingtonDarlington 01 +2.1 pts 42% 48.6%

PickensPickens 01 +1.8 pts 35.1% 54.8%

ClearwaterAiken 01 +1.3 pts 42% 47%

BeltonAnderson 02 +1.0 pts 42% 46.5%

CayceLexington 02 +0.6 pts 31.5% 56%

LymanSpartanburg 05 +0.4 pts 41.1% 46%

AikenAiken 01 +0.2 pts 31.2% 55.5%

71 Red HillHorry 01 −0.3 pts 40.3% 45.4%

UnionUnion 01 −0.5 pts 28.6% 56.8%

YorkYork 01 −0.6 pts 34.8% 50.4%

LandrumSpartanburg 01 −0.7 pts 40.6% 44.4%

Honea PathAnderson 02 −0.9 pts 40% 44.7%

76 PendletonAnderson 04 −1.0 pts 39.2% 45.2%

WellfordSpartanburg 05 −1.2 pts 42% 42%

GlovervilleAiken 01 −1.2 pts 42% 42%

WinnsboroFairfield 01 −1.6 pts 27% 56.3%

North CharlestonCharleston 01 −1.8 pts 35.9% 46.8%

GaffneyCherokee 01 −2.0 pts 30.4% 51.9%

82 CentervilleAnderson 05 −2.2 pts 41% 41%

Moncks CornerBerkeley 01 −2.3 pts 30.1% 51.7%

GanttGreenville 01 −3.1 pts 27.9% 52.2%

CentralPickens 01 −3.7 pts 37% 42%

86 LakewoodSumter 01 −3.7 pts 12% 67%

87 Red BankLexington 01 −4.1 pts 35.5% 42.6%

LancasterLancaster 01 −4.5 pts 25.2% 52.1%

89 RoebuckSpartanburg 06 −4.7 pts 40% 37%

Oak GroveLexington 01 −5.2 pts 37% 39%

Myrtle BeachHorry 01 −5.5 pts 36.7% 38.7%

WalhallaOconee 01 −5.6 pts 36.1% 39.1%

EdgefieldEdgefield 01 −6.2 pts 37% 37%

BarnwellBarnwell −6.4 pts 35.4% 38.2%

95 BurtonBeaufort 01 −6.5 pts 28.3% 45%

GreenwoodGreenwood 50 −6.8 pts 32.3% 40.5%

ClintonLaurens 56 −6.8 pts 33.9% 38.9%

WestminsterOconee 01 −7.2 pts 34.4% 37.6%

HartsvilleDarlington 01 −7.3 pts 33.7% 38.1%

100

CherawChesterfield 01 −8.2 pts 26.8% 43.2%

101 DentsvilleRichland 02 −8.3 pts 27.8% 42%

102

BennettsvilleMarlboro 01 −8.4 pts 19.4% 50.2%

103

GeorgetownGeorgetown 01 −8.5 pts 23% 46.3%

104

Batesburg-LeesvilleLexington 03 −9.3 pts 23.3% 44.4%

105

SaludaSaluda 01 −11.2 pts 40% 24%

106

ColumbiaRichland 01 −11.3 pts 25.9% 37.9%

107

SumterSumter 01 −12.6 pts 21.9% 39.3%

108

NewberryNewberry 01 −12.7 pts 25.6% 35.3%

109

ChesterChester 01 −12.7 pts 28% 33%

110

DillonDillon 04 −14.0 pts 11.1% 47.3%

111 MullinsMarion 10 −14.7 pts 17.5% 39.6%

112 WelcomeGreenville 01 −15.5 pts 24.4% 30.9%

113

St. AndrewsRichland 01 −15.8 pts 17.8% 36.9%

114 Southern ShopsSpartanburg 06 −16.2 pts 27% 27%

115

RidgelandJasper 01 −16.4 pts 17% 36.5%

116

MarionMarion 10 −16.9 pts 14.8% 37.8%

117 East CamdenKershaw 01 −17.2 pts 25% 27%

118 ParkerGreenville 01 −18.0 pts 29.5% 20.8%

119

Pine RidgeLexington 02 −18.6 pts 22.5% 26.6%

120 SangareeBerkeley 01 −18.7 pts 20% 29%

121

New EllentonAiken 01 −18.7 pts 22% 27%

122 JudsonGreenville 01 −18.7 pts 28% 21%

123 Lake CityFlorence 03 −18.8 pts 13.2% 35.6%

124 DalzellSumter 01 −19.8 pts 18.1% 28.6%

125 LadsonBerkeley 01 −20.5 pts 16.6% 28.8%

126

Laurel BayBeaufort 01 −21.2 pts 17% 27%

127 Capitol ViewRichland 01 −21.2 pts 22% 22%

128 Seven OaksCharter Institute at Erskine −21.5 pts 41.9% 1.5%

129

LaurensLaurens 55 −21.8 pts 19.8% 23%

130 Sans SouciGreenville 01 −22.0 pts 21.9% 20.4%

131

WalterboroColleton 01 −22.7 pts 17% 24%

132 ArcadiaSpartanburg 06 −24.2 pts 20% 18%

133

HollywoodCharleston 01 −24.7 pts 11% 26%

134

HardeevilleJasper 01 −25.2 pts 13% 23%

135

CherryvaleSumter 01 −28.7 pts 12% 17%

136

KingstreeWilliamsburg 01 −29.2 pts 9% 19%

137

AndrewsGeorgetown 01 −30.2 pts 9% 17%

138

OrangeburgOrangeburg −30.5 pts 18% 7.4%

139

BishopvilleLee 01 −31.2 pts 12% 12%

140

RavenelCharleston 01 −33.5 pts 12% 7.5%

141 BrookdaleOrangeburg −34.6 pts 20.1% -3%

How this ranking works

For every public school in a town we take its latest math and reading proficiency and subtract the South Carolina average for the same test. The town’s score is the average of those gaps, weighted by each school’s enrollment, so a big high school counts more than a small annex. Private schools aren’t included.

Each state writes its own tests, so these scores compare towns within South Carolina only. We don’t rank a town unless at least 150 students in its schools were tested. Test data: EDFacts via Urban Institute Education Data Portal (SY2020-21).

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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