Best Public Schools in Charleston, SC

The Charleston, South Carolina area is served by 31 schools across two districts—Charleston 01 and Berkeley 01—covering elementary through high school, with a total enrollment of 19,212 students. The city has a strong group of elite schools: Buist Academy is the #1 middle school in South Carolina with near-universal proficiency, while Stiles Point Elementary, Daniel Island School, and Orange Grove Charter School all rank in the 98th percentile or higher. James Island Charter High leads traditional high schools with a 94.3% graduation rate, and Camp Road Middle also earns 5 stars.

At the other end of the spectrum, several schools face severe challenges. Simmons Pinckney Middle ranks in the 1st percentile with 60.3% chronic absenteeism, while Burke High has a 78.6% graduation rate and 47.9% chronic absenteeism. Sanders-Clyde Elementary and Mitchell Elementary also rank low despite spending roughly $36,000–$39,000 per student—far more than top performers like Daniel Island ($12,857) and Orange Grove ($14,448). This shows that higher spending alone does not guarantee better outcomes.

Chronic absenteeism is the clearest dividing line between success and struggle, and middle school math is a citywide weakness, even at strong schools like Montessori Community School. However, some middle schools excel at Algebra 1, including Buist, Camp Road, and Daniel Island with 100% pass rates. Oakland Elementary is the most improved school, jumping to the 83rd percentile, and Charleston Charter School for Math and Science graduates 98.6% of students. Overall, Charleston offers some of South Carolina’s best public schools, but the gap between its elite and struggling schools is wide—making attendance and targeted math support the most important levers for improvement.