Best Public Schools in Murrells Inlet, SC

Summary:

The city of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina is home to two standout schools: St. James High and Seaside Elementary. These schools serve students in the Horry 01 district and have consistently demonstrated strong academic performance.

St. James High is a top-performing high school, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past three years. The school's test scores in Algebra, English, and U.S. History are significantly higher than the district and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 77.9% to 92.68%. Additionally, St. James High boasts an impressive 85.4% four-year graduation rate and a low 2.3% dropout rate.

Seaside Elementary is also a strong performer, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics for 3rd and 4th grades exceed the district and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 58.7% to 81.3%. While Seaside Elementary has a higher percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch (58.04%) compared to St. James High (43.03%), the school's academic achievements suggest effective teaching and learning practices.

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Science 4th 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
Seaside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1605 Woodland Drive	Murrells Inlet	29576	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 650-3490	398	32	12.4		313 (78.6%)	14 (3.5%)	36 (9.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.3%)	81	107^th of 640 public elementary schools	83.3%		86.1	78^th of 638 public elementary schools	87.8%	29	81.3	76.1	72.5	63.0	58.7					$16,330	$1,441	$404	$1,845	$12,815	$1,670	$14,484
St. James High	Public	9-12	10800 Highway 707	Murrells Inlet	29576	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 650-5600	1,826	104	17.5		1,337 (73.2%)	116 (6.4%)	231 (12.7%)	31 (1.7%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (5.9%)	80.8	24^th of 235 public high schools	89.8%		82.1	23^rd of 235 public high schools	90.2%	1						90.1	81.0	77.9	91.0	$13,791	$623	$434	$1,057	$11,003	$1,731	$12,733

Cities Near Murrells Inlet

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Myrtle Beach	2.86 mi	29	49^th
Pawleys Island	8.18 mi	5	27^th
Georgetown	12.25 mi	8	162^nd
Conway	14.38 mi	16	52^nd
Hemingway	18.39 mi	7	141^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.