Columbia County

Columbia County Schools is a high-performing district in Georgia’s Augusta area, serving roughly 27,000 students across 30 schools—17 elementary, 8 middle, and 5 high schools—and ranking in the 92nd percentile statewide with a 5-star rating.

Families will find standout options at every level. Parkway Elementary School leads the district’s elementary schools (ranked #35 statewide) with math proficiency above 78% in every grade and science proficiency nearly double the state average. Greenbrier Middle School and Riverside Middle School are the top middle schools, with Algebra I proficiency of 90.4% and 95.1%, respectively—far outpacing the district average of 54.6%. At the high school level, Greenbrier High School is the clear leader with a 97.9% graduation rate and the district’s highest test scores, while Evans High School made a remarkable 63-position jump in state rankings. The Greenbrier cluster—elementary, middle, and high—consistently ranks in the top 10% statewide, suggesting a strong feeder pattern.

However, significant disparities exist. Harlem High School struggles with Algebra I proficiency at just 14.3%, and 8th-grade science scores are a district-wide concern—most middle schools fall well below the state average of 29.7%, with Lakeside Middle School at only 2.2%. Chronic absenteeism also varies widely, from 4.5% at Greenbrier Elementary School to nearly 20% at Evans High. Notably, higher spending doesn’t guarantee better results—Greenbrier High School spends near the district minimum yet achieves top outcomes. All five high schools exceed the state graduation rate of 87.2%, and the district excels in social studies across all grade levels. For parents, the Greenbrier and Riverside clusters offer the most consistent excellence, while schools like Baker Place Elementary and North Columbia Elementary prove that moderate poverty levels don’t preclude top-tier performance.