Beaufort County Schools & Education
Beaufort County, South Carolina
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
51/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
86.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
86.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 84.2%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,656
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,165
School Score
51/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 33/100
State Score Position
#4
of 46 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Beaufort County
Measured School Summary
Beaufort County performs at an average level with a school score of 51/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.0%.
Funding Context
Beaufort County spends $8,656 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 54% above the South Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 21% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Beaufort County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
34 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
51/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #4 of 46 South Carolina counties with school score data.
Completion
86.0%
1.8 pts above the state average
Funding context
$8,656
$1,491 above the state average
School coverage
34
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Beaufort County has 34 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Beaufort County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Dominant-district county
Beaufort 01 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 32 of 34 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#4
of 46 South Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 18 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Beaufort 01
Elementary to high school visible
21,439 students
32 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Beaufort 01 is the largest listed district slice, with 32 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Beaufort County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Beaufort County Education Funding Reaches $8,656 Per Student
Education data brief for Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Beaufort County’s per-pupil expenditure of $8,656 is significantly higher than the South Carolina state average of $7,165, though it remains below the national average of $13,000. The county operates a single primary district, Beaufort 01, which manages 32 of the county's 34 public schools and serves 21,439 students. Total enrollment across all schools is 23,085, with May River High being the largest campus at 1,601 students. The composite school score of 50.9 is notably higher than the state average of 33.4 and aligns with the national median of 50.0. The county's graduation rate is 86.0%, which exceeds the state average of 84.2% but falls just short of the national average of 87.0%. The school directory shows a diverse locale mix, including 13 schools in towns, 12 in cities, and 9 in rural areas. Educational attainment data is not provided in this set. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
34
in Beaufort County
Reported Enrollment
23,085
34 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
3
9% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Beaufort County
34 Public Schools in Beaufort County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 7 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 34 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,601 |
| Bluffton High | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,350 |
| Hilton Head Island High | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Hilton Head Island, 29926City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,345 |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Profile | SC Public Charter School District | Beaufort, 29449Town: Distant | KG–12 | Charter | 1,271 |
| Beaufort High | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Beaufort, 29907Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,191 |
| River Ridge Academy | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910Rural: Fringe | PK–8 | Primary | 1,120 |
| Pritchardville Elementary | Profile | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 1,005 |
| H. E. McCracken Middle | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 889 |
| Bluffton Middle | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 872 |
| Hilton Head Island Middle | Record | Beaufort 01 | Hilton Head Island, 29926City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 856 |
| Battery Creek High | Record | Beaufort 01 | Beaufort, 29906Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 788 |
| Michael C. Riley Elementary | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 772 |
| Hilton Head Island Elementary | Record | Beaufort 01 | Hilton Head Island, 29926City: Small | 1–5 | Primary | 709 |
| Riverview Charter School | Record | Beaufort 01 | Beaufort, 29906Town: Distant | KG–8 | Charter | 703 |
| Bluffton Elementary | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 696 |
| Robert Smalls International Academy | Record | Beaufort 01 | Beaufort, 29906Town: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 685 |
| Okatie Elementary | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29909Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 609 |
| Red Cedar Elementary | Record | Beaufort 01 | Bluffton, 29910City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 601 |
| Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts | Record | Beaufort 01 | Hilton Head Island, 29926City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 556 |
| Whale Branch Early College High | Record | Beaufort 01 | Seabrook, 29940Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 476 |
May River High
Beaufort 01
Bluffton, 29910 / Rural: Fringe
Bluffton High
Beaufort 01
Bluffton, 29910 / City: Small
Hilton Head Island High
Beaufort 01
Hilton Head Island, 29926 / City: Small
Bridges Preparatory School
SC Public Charter School District
Beaufort, 29449 / Town: Distant
Beaufort High
Beaufort 01
Beaufort, 29907 / Town: Distant
River Ridge Academy
Beaufort 01
Bluffton, 29910 / Rural: Fringe
Pritchardville Elementary
Beaufort 01
Bluffton, 29910 / City: Small
Hilton Head Island Middle
Beaufort 01
Hilton Head Island, 29926 / City: Small
Hilton Head Island Elementary
Beaufort 01
Hilton Head Island, 29926 / City: Small
Robert Smalls International Academy
Beaufort 01
Beaufort, 29906 / Town: Distant
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts
Beaufort 01
Hilton Head Island, 29926 / City: Small
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,656
State avg $7,165
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Beaufort County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which South Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in South Carolina?
How should I read the school score in Beaufort County?
What is the graduation rate in Beaufort County?
How much does Beaufort County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.