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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

Williamston
South Carolina · Best schools

Where Williamston lands: #22 of 141

+15.5 pts vs. the SC average in math + reading · Visit Williamston →

Map of Lake Murray of Richland 1 Lake Murray of Richland +36.8 pts Math 78% · Reading 82% Map of Clemson 2 Clemson +32.3 pts Math 76% · Reading 75% 3 Baxter Village +31.8 pts Math 73% · Reading 77%
#Townvs. state averageMathReading
1 Map of Lake Murray of Richland Lake Murray of RichlandLexington 05 +36.8 pts 78% 82%
2 Map of Clemson 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%
5 Map of Tega Cay Tega CayYork 04 +30.5 pts 73.4% 74%
6 Map of Blythewood BlythewoodRichland 02 +30.5 pts 66.1% 81.4%
7 Map of Mount Pleasant Mount PleasantCharleston 01 +28.9 pts 76% 68.1%
8 Map of Boiling Springs 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%
12 White Knoll White KnollLexington 01 +22.8 pts 47% 85%
13 Mauldin MauldinGreenville 01 +20.0 pts 57.3% 69.1%
14 Lexington LexingtonLexington 01 +19.3 pts 54% 71%
15 Fort Mill Fort MillYork 04 +19.1 pts 66.3% 58.3%
16 Map of Travelers Rest Travelers RestGreenville 01 +18.4 pts 48.4% 74.8%
17 Socastee SocasteeHorry 01 +17.8 pts 51.3% 70.7%
18 North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle BeachHorry 01 +17.8 pts 62% 60%
19 Abbeville 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%
22 Williamston WilliamstonAnderson 01 +15.5 pts 57.7% 59.7%
23 Map of Taylors TaylorsGreenville 01 +15.3 pts 52.7% 64.3%
24 Bluffton BlufftonBeaufort 01 +15.2 pts 54.7% 62%
25 Greer GreerGreenville 01 +14.6 pts 50.9% 64.6%
26 Springdale SpringdaleLexington 02 +13.8 pts 62% 52%
27 Litchfield Beach Litchfield BeachGeorgetown 01 +13.6 pts 55.3% 58.3%
28 Hilton Head Island Hilton Head IslandBeaufort 01 +13.5 pts 53.3% 60%
29 Charleston CharlestonCharleston 01 +12.8 pts 50.9% 61.1%
30 Simpsonville SimpsonvilleGreenville 01 +11.5 pts 46.2% 63.2%
31 Woodruff WoodruffSpartanburg 04 +11.4 pts 53.4% 55.9%
32 Map of Garden City Garden CityHorry 01 +11.3 pts 52% 57%
33 Forest Acres Forest AcresRichland 01 +11.1 pts 43.9% 64.8%
34 Greenville GreenvilleGreenville 01 +10.8 pts 46.7% 61.2%
35 Duncan DuncanSpartanburg 05 +10.8 pts 39.6% 68.4%
36 James Island James IslandCharleston 01 +10.3 pts 50% 57%
37 Inman InmanSpartanburg 01 +10.2 pts 43.6% 63.3%
38 HanahanBerkeley 01 +9.5 pts 47.1% 58.3%
39 Map of Ninety Six Ninety SixGreenwood 52 +9.3 pts 41.3% 63.7%
40 Map of Forestbrook ForestbrookHorry 01 +9.2 pts 50.7% 54.1%
41 Map of Loris LorisHorry 01 +8.6 pts 44.8% 58.7%
42 North Augusta North AugustaAiken 01 +8.5 pts 44.3% 59.2%
43 Florence FlorenceFlorence 01 +8.4 pts 41.7% 61.4%
44 Summerville SummervilleDorchester 02 +8.1 pts 43.1% 59.5%
45 Seneca SenecaOconee 01 +7.5 pts 46.2% 55.2%
46 Map of Woodfield WoodfieldRichland 02 +7.2 pts 35.6% 65.2%
47 EasleyPickens 01 +6.5 pts 43.5% 56%
48 Conway ConwayHorry 01 +6.4 pts 43% 56.2%
49 Map of Belvedere BelvedereAiken 01 +5.8 pts 48% 50%
50 Anderson AndersonAnderson 05 +5.5 pts 48.8% 48.5%
51 Goose Creek Goose CreekBerkeley 01 +4.9 pts 39.7% 56.6%
52 Fountain Inn Fountain InnGreenville 01 +4.3 pts 48% 47%
53 Beaufort BeaufortBeaufort 01 +4.0 pts 36.9% 57.4%
54 Clover CloverYork 02 +3.8 pts 48.7% 45.3%
55 Burnettown BurnettownAiken 01 +3.8 pts 30.6% 63.5%
56 Camden CamdenKershaw 01 +3.6 pts 35.5% 58.1%
57 Liberty LibertyPickens 01 +3.6 pts 38.5% 55.1%
58 Rock Hill Rock HillYork 03 +3.2 pts 39.1% 53.6%
59 West Columbia West ColumbiaCharter Institute at Erskine +3.1 pts 41.3% 51.3%
60 Map of Port Royal Port RoyalSC Public Charter School District +3.1 pts 38.9% 53.6%
61 Map of Spartanburg SpartanburgSpartanburg 07 +2.9 pts 43% 49.2%
62 Map of Berea BereaGreenville 01 +2.9 pts 39.1% 53.1%
63 Irmo IrmoLexington 05 +2.7 pts 42.4% 49.4%
64 Darlington DarlingtonDarlington 01 +2.1 pts 42% 48.6%
65 Pickens PickensPickens 01 +1.8 pts 35.1% 54.8%
66 Map of Clearwater ClearwaterAiken 01 +1.3 pts 42% 47%
67 Belton BeltonAnderson 02 +1.0 pts 42% 46.5%
68 Cayce CayceLexington 02 +0.6 pts 31.5% 56%
69 Map of Lyman LymanSpartanburg 05 +0.4 pts 41.1% 46%
70 Aiken AikenAiken 01 +0.2 pts 31.2% 55.5%
71 Map of Red Hill Red HillHorry 01 −0.3 pts 40.3% 45.4%
72 Map of Union UnionUnion 01 −0.5 pts 28.6% 56.8%
73 York YorkYork 01 −0.6 pts 34.8% 50.4%
74 Landrum LandrumSpartanburg 01 −0.7 pts 40.6% 44.4%
75 Map of Honea Path Honea PathAnderson 02 −0.9 pts 40% 44.7%
76 Pendleton PendletonAnderson 04 −1.0 pts 39.2% 45.2%
77 Map of Wellford WellfordSpartanburg 05 −1.2 pts 42% 42%
78 Map of Gloverville GlovervilleAiken 01 −1.2 pts 42% 42%
79 Winnsboro WinnsboroFairfield 01 −1.6 pts 27% 56.3%
80 North Charleston North CharlestonCharleston 01 −1.8 pts 35.9% 46.8%
81 Gaffney GaffneyCherokee 01 −2.0 pts 30.4% 51.9%
82 Map of Centerville CentervilleAnderson 05 −2.2 pts 41% 41%
83 Moncks Corner Moncks CornerBerkeley 01 −2.3 pts 30.1% 51.7%
84 Map of Gantt GanttGreenville 01 −3.1 pts 27.9% 52.2%
85 Central CentralPickens 01 −3.7 pts 37% 42%
86 LakewoodSumter 01 −3.7 pts 12% 67%
87 Red Bank Red BankLexington 01 −4.1 pts 35.5% 42.6%
88 Lancaster LancasterLancaster 01 −4.5 pts 25.2% 52.1%
89 Map of Roebuck RoebuckSpartanburg 06 −4.7 pts 40% 37%
90 Oak Grove Oak GroveLexington 01 −5.2 pts 37% 39%
91 Myrtle Beach Myrtle BeachHorry 01 −5.5 pts 36.7% 38.7%
92 Walhalla WalhallaOconee 01 −5.6 pts 36.1% 39.1%
93 Edgefield EdgefieldEdgefield 01 −6.2 pts 37% 37%
94 Barnwell BarnwellBarnwell −6.4 pts 35.4% 38.2%
95 Map of Burton BurtonBeaufort 01 −6.5 pts 28.3% 45%
96 Greenwood GreenwoodGreenwood 50 −6.8 pts 32.3% 40.5%
97 Clinton ClintonLaurens 56 −6.8 pts 33.9% 38.9%
98 Westminster WestminsterOconee 01 −7.2 pts 34.4% 37.6%
99 Hartsville HartsvilleDarlington 01 −7.3 pts 33.7% 38.1%
100 Cheraw CherawChesterfield 01 −8.2 pts 26.8% 43.2%
101 Map of Dentsville DentsvilleRichland 02 −8.3 pts 27.8% 42%
102 Bennettsville BennettsvilleMarlboro 01 −8.4 pts 19.4% 50.2%
103 Map of Georgetown GeorgetownGeorgetown 01 −8.5 pts 23% 46.3%
104 Batesburg-Leesville Batesburg-LeesvilleLexington 03 −9.3 pts 23.3% 44.4%
105 Saluda SaludaSaluda 01 −11.2 pts 40% 24%
106 Columbia ColumbiaRichland 01 −11.3 pts 25.9% 37.9%
107 Sumter SumterSumter 01 −12.6 pts 21.9% 39.3%
108 Newberry NewberryNewberry 01 −12.7 pts 25.6% 35.3%
109 Chester ChesterChester 01 −12.7 pts 28% 33%
110 Dillon DillonDillon 04 −14.0 pts 11.1% 47.3%
111 Mullins MullinsMarion 10 −14.7 pts 17.5% 39.6%
112 WelcomeGreenville 01 −15.5 pts 24.4% 30.9%
113 St. Andrews St. AndrewsRichland 01 −15.8 pts 17.8% 36.9%
114 Southern ShopsSpartanburg 06 −16.2 pts 27% 27%
115 Ridgeland RidgelandJasper 01 −16.4 pts 17% 36.5%
116 Marion 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 Ridge Pine RidgeLexington 02 −18.6 pts 22.5% 26.6%
120 SangareeBerkeley 01 −18.7 pts 20% 29%
121 Map of New Ellenton New EllentonAiken 01 −18.7 pts 22% 27%
122 JudsonGreenville 01 −18.7 pts 28% 21%
123 Lake City Lake CityFlorence 03 −18.8 pts 13.2% 35.6%
124 DalzellSumter 01 −19.8 pts 18.1% 28.6%
125 Map of Ladson LadsonBerkeley 01 −20.5 pts 16.6% 28.8%
126 Map of Laurel Bay Laurel BayBeaufort 01 −21.2 pts 17% 27%
127 Capitol ViewRichland 01 −21.2 pts 22% 22%
128 Seven Oaks Seven OaksCharter Institute at Erskine −21.5 pts 41.9% 1.5%
129 Laurens LaurensLaurens 55 −21.8 pts 19.8% 23%
130 Sans SouciGreenville 01 −22.0 pts 21.9% 20.4%
131 Walterboro WalterboroColleton 01 −22.7 pts 17% 24%
132 ArcadiaSpartanburg 06 −24.2 pts 20% 18%
133 Map of Hollywood HollywoodCharleston 01 −24.7 pts 11% 26%
134 Hardeeville HardeevilleJasper 01 −25.2 pts 13% 23%
135 Map of Cherryvale CherryvaleSumter 01 −28.7 pts 12% 17%
136 Kingstree KingstreeWilliamsburg 01 −29.2 pts 9% 19%
137 Andrews AndrewsGeorgetown 01 −30.2 pts 9% 17%
138 Orangeburg OrangeburgOrangeburg −30.5 pts 18% 7.4%
139 Bishopville BishopvilleLee 01 −31.2 pts 12% 12%
140 Ravenel RavenelCharleston 01 −33.5 pts 12% 7.5%
141 Map of Brookdale 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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