Best Public Schools in Aiken, SC

Summary:

The city of Aiken, South Carolina is home to 17 schools, including 8 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The schools in this area serve a diverse student population and demonstrate a range of academic performance, with some standout institutions leading the way.

At the top of the pack is Aiken Scholars Academy, a high school that ranks 1st out of 235 South Carolina high schools and earns a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. This school boasts exceptional test scores, with 100% proficiency in several key subjects. Another high-performing school is Tall Pines STEM Academy, a public charter middle school that ranks 72nd out of 320 South Carolina middle schools and has a 4-star rating. Additionally, Millbrook Elementary and East Aiken School of the Arts are two elementary schools that demonstrate strong academic performance, ranking in the top 25% of South Carolina elementary schools and earning 4-star ratings.

While some schools in Aiken excel, others face challenges. The district's high schools have a 4-year graduation rate of 85.4%, on par with the state average, but several schools struggle with high rates of chronic absenteeism and low test scores, particularly in schools with high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests that addressing issues of equity and investing in effective educational programs could be key strategies for improving student outcomes across the Aiken 01 school district.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)						SC READY Mathematics (2025)						SC READY Science (2025)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2025)	EOCEP English 1 (2025)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2025)	EOCEP English 2 (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP English 1 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
J. D. Lever Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2404 Columbia Highway	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2760	452	36	12.5		193 (42.7%)	155 (34.3%)	61 (13.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.3%)	25.3	488^th of 640 public elementary schools	23.8%		22.8	499^th of 638 public elementary schools	21.8%	11	54.9	50.0	43.0				47.6	38.5	24.5				34.7						$13,333	$1,152	$1,188	$2,340	$10,022	$971	$10,993
East Aiken School of the Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	223 Old Wagener Road	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2450	534	39	13.6		203 (38.0%)	219 (41.0%)	46 (8.6%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.9%)	75.8	156^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.6%		60.6	240^th of 638 public elementary schools	62.4%	84	70.2	78.4	68.7				56.4	71.2	62.7				59.8						$12,989	$1,218	$1,174	$2,393	$9,648	$949	$10,596
Millbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 East Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2580	664	48	13.9		267 (40.2%)	232 (34.9%)	72 (10.8%)	12 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (12.2%)	73.6	175^th of 640 public elementary schools	72.7%		65.2	215^th of 638 public elementary schools	66.3%	40	72.8	76.1	67.7				68.4	59.8	56.2				53.9						$12,264	$1,056	$1,048	$2,104	$9,203	$957	$10,160
North Aiken Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Bears Rock Road	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2690	440	35	12.5		53 (12.0%)	279 (63.4%)	67 (15.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.6%)	29.4	455^th of 640 public elementary schools	28.9%		11.5	582^nd of 638 public elementary schools	8.8%	127	53.7	43.5	54.1				50.7	29.0	39.3				37.3						$13,875	$1,067	$1,174	$2,240	$10,318	$1,316	$11,634
Chukker Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1830 Chukker Creek Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2474	578	41	14.1		249 (43.1%)	211 (36.5%)	44 (7.6%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (9.5%)	64.8	224^th of 640 public elementary schools	65.0%		65.8	211^th of 638 public elementary schools	66.9%	13	59.8	73.6	76.1				48.6	58.1	63.5				50.4						$12,345	$707	$1,118	$1,825	$9,524	$996	$10,520
Aiken High	Public	9-12	449 Rutland Drive	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 641-2500	1,097	78	14.0		430 (39.2%)	501 (45.7%)	108 (9.8%)	9 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.3%)	31.8	162^nd of 235 public high schools	31.1%		38	139^th of 235 public high schools	40.9%	23															56.1	50.2	57.7	81.6	$13,738	$712	$502	$1,214	$10,807	$1,718	$12,524
Aiken Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2050 Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2740	508	36	14.1		211 (41.5%)	219 (43.1%)	32 (6.3%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.9%)	66	217^th of 640 public elementary schools	66.1%		54.6	286^th of 638 public elementary schools	55.2%	69	72.6	73.6	63.7				57.1	58.3	49.4				54.1						$13,252	$1,381	$1,084	$2,465	$9,561	$1,227	$10,788
M. B. Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	274 East Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2470	643	34	19.0		285 (44.3%)	221 (34.4%)	89 (13.8%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.2%)	40.8	184^th of 320 public middle schools	42.5%		56.4	128^th of 325 public middle schools	60.6%	56					56.4	54.1					22.1	22.2							$12,016	$723	$1,169	$1,892	$9,051	$1,073	$10,124
Oakwood-Windsor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3773 Charleston Highway	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2560	427	33	12.9		160 (37.5%)	76 (17.8%)	139 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.2%)	32	435^th of 640 public elementary schools	32.0%		31.4	437^th of 638 public elementary schools	31.5%	2	53.3	43.9	64.8				43.3	36.6	53.7				29.3						$13,511	$1,237	$1,113	$2,350	$10,151	$1,009	$11,161
Schofield Middle	Public	7-8	224 Kershaw Street Northeast	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2770	356	26	13.6		76 (21.3%)	208 (58.4%)	52 (14.6%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.9%)	14.8	279^th of 320 public middle schools	12.8%		14.9	285^th of 325 public middle schools	12.3%	6					35.3	42.2					13.2	9.4							$14,127	$617	$1,270	$1,888	$10,793	$1,446	$12,239
South Aiken High	Public	9-12	232 East Pine Log Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 641-2600	1,349	80	16.8		658 (48.8%)	414 (30.7%)	156 (11.6%)	23 (1.7%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (7.0%)	51	105^th of 235 public high schools	55.3%		46	119^th of 235 public high schools	49.4%	14															66.8	59.2	58.9	89.9	$12,188	$432	$945	$1,377	$9,615	$1,196	$10,811
Silver Bluff High	Public	9-12	64 DeSoto Drive	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 652-8100	756	48	15.7		313 (41.4%)	297 (39.3%)	90 (11.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (6.9%)	46	119^th of 235 public high schools	49.4%		36.8	143^rd of 235 public high schools	39.1%	24															75.5	56.1	52.2	88.5	$13,005	$571	$946	$1,517	$10,009	$1,478	$11,488
Redcliffe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	22 Double Springs Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 827-3350	588	39	15.2		248 (42.2%)	208 (35.4%)	74 (12.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.7%)	28.8	459^th of 640 public elementary schools	28.3%		29.1	453^rd of 638 public elementary schools	29.0%	6	53.5	49.4	64.5				37.2	31.2	36.6				29.4						$12,081	$684	$1,105	$1,789	$9,270	$1,022	$10,292
Aiken Scholars Academy	Public	9-12	471 University Parkway Box 12	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 641-2428	176	7	25.1		114 (64.8%)	23 (13.1%)	12 (6.8%)	9 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.2%)	97.5	3^rd of 235 public high schools	98.7%		97.8	1^st of 235 public high schools	99.6%	2																100.0	97.4	100.0	$41,824	$2,717	$2,560	$5,277	$31,869	$4,678	$36,547
Aiken Intermediate	Public	6	101 Gator Lane	Aiken	29801	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 641-2570	427	26	16.7		155 (36.3%)	189 (44.3%)	53 (12.4%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.9%)								(n/a)				46.2						22.2				40.9					$10,621	$882	$927	$1,808	$7,946	$866	$8,812
Tall Pines STEM Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	82 Camp Long Road	Aiken	29805	Aiken County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 502-1692	382	25	15.2		326 (85.3%)	15 (3.9%)	19 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.2%)	74	72^nd of 320 public middle schools	77.5%		76.9	66^th of 325 public middle schools	79.7%	6			77.9	70.5	69.9	76.0			44.2	53.7	39.8	17.4		64.2					$11,482	$60	$236	$296	$186	$11,001	$11,186
Horse Creek Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1200 Toolebeck Road	Aiken	29803	Aiken County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 646-3506	1,392	111	12.5		1,048 (75.3%)	217 (15.6%)	57 (4.1%)	11 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (4.2%)								(n/a)	59.8	61.7	59.3	58.0	59.6	68.9	58.9	50.4	31.0	16.8	30.3	20.8	42.6	36.3	53.5	60.0	57.6	88.8	$11,944	$581	$82	$663	$9,169	$2,112	$11,281

Cities Near Aiken

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Warrenville	5.18 mi	4	148^th
Graniteville	6.19 mi	4	135^th
Gloverville	7.23 mi	1	70^th
Trenton	10.85 mi	3	169^th
New Ellenton	11.04 mi	2	131^st

See the top SC South Carolina cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.