Known for its long, beautiful coastline, historical landmarks dating back to colonial America, and mixture of cultures, South Carolina also has a number of excellent public school districts serving the state’s youth.

The best public school system in South Carolina is Fort Mill School District, one of four districts serving York County (and the first of two in the state’s top five). Comprising nine elementary schools, five middle schools, and two high schools (with one more set to open in August 2019), Fort Mills Schools is smaller than most in the state, yet also one of the fastest growing. The district earned the honor of accreditation by AdvancED, a distinction only bestowed upon districts meeting a high standard of academic excellence.

South Carolina’s #2 ranked school system is Clover School District, made up of 12 schools also serving York County. CSD outperforms a majority of the state’s school districts, with students achieving 70% proficiency in math.

The third spot in the ranking belongs to District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties. Nationally renowned as an excellent school system, a remarkable 17 students from School District Five’s four high schools recently earned the distinction of becoming National Merit Scholarship finalists.

Rounding out South Carolina’s top five school districts are Dorchester School District Two (#4), comprising 25 schools based in Summerville, SC, and Lexington School District 1 (#5) of Lexington County, SC.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?