Can I use Charleston County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Charleston County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Charleston County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Charleston County?

Start with the 92 listed public schools and 1 district entry, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Charleston County Schools & Education

Name: Charleston County, South Carolina Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Charleston County, South Carolina

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

43/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 84.2%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,500

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,165

School Score

43/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 33/100

State Score Position

#12

of 46 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Charleston County

Measured School Summary

Charleston County performs at an average level with a school score of 43/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.0%.

Funding Context

At $7,500 per pupil, Charleston County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 29% above the South Carolina average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Charleston 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

92 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

43/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #12 of 46 South Carolina counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

2.8 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,500

$335 above the state average

School coverage

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

Charleston County has 92 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Charleston 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

Charleston 01 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 82 of 92 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#12

of 46 South Carolina counties with school score data. The county score is 10 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.

Charleston 01

Elementary to high school visible

49,929 students

Elementary 51Middle 12High 18Other 1

82 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Charleston 01 is the largest listed district slice, with 82 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 Charleston 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

Charleston County Education Landscape Features High Charter School Share

Education data brief for Charleston County, South Carolina.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Charter schools comprise over 20% of the public education landscape in Charleston County, a significant departure from many surrounding South Carolina districts. Out of 92 total public schools, 19 are charter institutions, including James Island Charter High which serves ,589 students. The primary district, Charleston 01, serves 49,929 students across a mix of urban and suburban locales, with Wando High standing as the largest school at 2,596 students. The county's graduation rate of 87.0% aligns with the national average and exceeds the state average of 84.2%. Regarding financial inputs, the per-pupil expenditure of $7,500 is $335 above the state average but remains $5,500 below the national average of $13,000. The county's composite school score of 42.6 is higher than the state average of 33.4 but lower than the national median of 50.0. Review the NCES directory for specific charter school authorizations.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Charleston County

Reported Enrollment

52,982

92 schools reporting

School Districts

district

Charter Schools

21% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary55

Middle12

High23

Other2

1 School District in Charleston County

Charleston 01

Guide

82 schools

49,929 students enrolled

Open district guide

92 Public Schools in Charleston County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 14 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 92 matching schools

Public schools in Charleston County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Wando High	Profile	Charleston 01	Mount Pleasant, 29466Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	2,596
RB Stall High	Profile	Charleston 01	North Charleston, 29418City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,952
West Ashley High	Profile	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29414City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,935
Lucy Garrett Beckham High	Profile	Charleston 01	Mt. Pleasant, 29464Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,673
James Island Charter High	Profile	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29412City: Midsize	9–12	Charter	1,589
C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Art	Profile	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29414City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	1,172
Orange Grove Charter School	Profile	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29407City: Midsize	PK–8	Charter	1,167
Meeting Street Elementary	Profile	Charleston 01	North Charleston, 29405City: Midsize	PK–8	Primary	1,133
Thomas C. Cario Middle	Profile	Charleston 01	Mt. Pleasant, 29466Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,125
Moultrie Middle	Profile	Charleston 01	Mount Pleasant, 29464Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,119
Charleston School of the Arts	Profile	Charleston 01	North Charleston, 29405City: Midsize	6–12	High	1,061
Laing Middle	Profile	Charleston 01	Mount Pleasant, 29466Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	1,012
Jennie Moore Elementary	Profile	Charleston 01	Mt. Pleasant, 29466Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	1,004
Carolina Park Elementary	Profile	Charleston 01	Mt. Pleasant, 29466Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	978
Camp Road Middle	Record	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29412Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	864
Ladson Elementary	Record	Charleston 01	Ladson, 29456Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	851
Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary	Record	Charleston 01	Mt. Pleasant, 29464Suburb: Large	PK–5	Primary	834
Stiles Point Elementary	Record	Charleston 01	Charleston, 29412City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	817
Angel Oak Elementary	Record	Charleston 01	Johns Island, 29455City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	772
North Charleston High	Record	Charleston 01	North Charleston, 29405City: Midsize	9–12	High	768

Wando High

Charleston 01

Mount Pleasant, 29466 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,596 students

RB Stall High

Charleston 01

North Charleston, 29418 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,952 students

West Ashley High

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29414 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,935 students

Lucy Garrett Beckham High

Charleston 01

Mt. Pleasant, 29464 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,673 students

James Island Charter High

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29412 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12Charter1,589 students

C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific Art

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29414 / City: Midsize

Profile6–8Middle1,172 students

Orange Grove Charter School

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29407 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–8Charter1,167 students

Meeting Street Elementary

Charleston 01

North Charleston, 29405 / City: Midsize

ProfilePK–8Primary1,133 students

Thomas C. Cario Middle

Charleston 01

Mt. Pleasant, 29466 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,125 students

Moultrie Middle

Charleston 01

Mount Pleasant, 29464 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,119 students

Charleston School of the Arts

Charleston 01

North Charleston, 29405 / City: Midsize

Profile6–12High1,061 students

Laing Middle

Charleston 01

Mount Pleasant, 29466 / Suburb: Large

Profile6–8Middle1,012 students

Jennie Moore Elementary

Charleston 01

Mt. Pleasant, 29466 / Suburb: Large

ProfilePK–5Primary1,004 students

Carolina Park Elementary

Charleston 01

Mt. Pleasant, 29466 / Rural: Fringe

ProfilePK–5Primary978 students

Camp Road Middle

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29412 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle864 students

Ladson Elementary

Charleston 01

Ladson, 29456 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary851 students

Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary

Charleston 01

Mt. Pleasant, 29464 / Suburb: Large

RecordPK–5Primary834 students

Stiles Point Elementary

Charleston 01

Charleston, 29412 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary817 students

Angel Oak Elementary

Charleston 01

Johns Island, 29455 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary772 students

North Charleston High

Charleston 01

North Charleston, 29405 / City: Midsize

Record9–12High768 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,500

State avg $7,165

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Charleston County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which South Carolina counties have the highest graduation rates?

Lee County (92.0%), Darlington County (91.1%), and Dorchester County (91.1%) currently lead South Carolina among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in South Carolina?

Across South Carolina counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,165. The highest current county values are Fairfield County ($11,084), Richland County ($10,146), and McCormick County ($8,932). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Charleston County?

Charleston County has a school score of 43/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Charleston County?

The high school graduation rate in Charleston County is 87.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Charleston County spend per student?

Charleston County spends $7,500 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Oconee County

South Carolina

0 pts

43/100

School score

York County

South Carolina

+1 pts

44/100

School score

Hampton County

South Carolina

+1 pts

44/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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