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Southwood Academy for the Arts

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

14^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 96% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Southwood Academy for the Arts is a public magnet middle school in Anderson, SC, serving 409 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Anderson 05 school district. This arts-focused academy has earned a 5-star rating every year for the past decade and currently ranks 13th out of 335 middle schools in South Carolina, placing it in the 96th percentile statewide.

What truly sets Southwood apart is the remarkable academic achievement across all subjects and student groups. In the most recent school year, English Language Arts proficiency ranges from 85.7% to 89.6%, while math proficiency sits between 77.2% and 85.4%—roughly 30 to 50 percentage points higher than state averages. The school's Algebra 1 pass rate is nearly perfect at 99.99%. Perhaps most impressive is that Southwood excels across all demographics: African American students rank 2nd in the state, low-income students rank 5th, and Hispanic students rank 6th. The school spends $20,140 per student—significantly more than nearby schools—and maintains a favorable 11.9 student-teacher ratio. Chronic absenteeism is just 16%, well below the district average of 24.8%, suggesting students are genuinely engaged in their learning.

The contrast with nearby schools in the same district is striking. Robert Anderson Middle, located just 1.5 miles away, ranks in the 24th percentile with proficiency rates in the 20s and 30s—a difference of over 50 points in 8th-grade math. Even McCants Middle, the closest competitor at the 85th percentile, trails Southwood by 15-20 points in most subjects. The arts-integrated curriculum appears to be a powerful engagement tool, creating a culture where students attend regularly and perform at elite levels. For parents seeking a middle school with proven, consistent excellence, Southwood Academy for the Arts stands out as a top-tier choice in the Upstate region.

409

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,140

Per pupil spending ?

55.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1110 Southwood Street
Anderson, SC 29624

(864) 260-5205

District: Anderson 05

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.9%

African American:

22.7%

Hispanic:

12.5%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Southwood Academy for the Arts to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 96th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (82% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of South Carolina middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Anderson 05

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school82%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg51%

14^th of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 4% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Middle Schools in the Anderson 05

21^st of 75Anderson 05 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	96.9	14 of 341	95.9%	★★★★★
2025	96.5	14 of 321	95.6%	★★★★★
2024	98.0	11 of 322	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	97.7	12 of 325	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	95.2	14 of 310	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	97.9	10 of 311	96.8%	★★★★★
2019	97.5	12 of 315	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	96.2	14 of 303	95.4%	★★★★★
2017	94.3	17 of 317	94.6%	★★★★★
2016	89.0	25 of 303	91.7%	★★★★★
2015	91.7	15 of 301	95.0%	★★★★★
2014	92.7	11 of 291	96.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	99.6	2 of 258	99.2%	★★★★★
2025	99.7	3 of 251	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.3	3 of 246	98.8%	★★★★★
2023	98.2	3 of 253	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	98.9	4 of 249	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	98.6	4 of 235	98.3%	★★★★★
2019	99.5	3 of 252	98.8%	★★★★★
2018	99.1	4 of 237	98.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.7	14 of 310	95.5%	★★★★★
2025	96.4	9 of 295	96.9%	★★★★★
2024	97.7	8 of 293	97.3%	★★★★★
2023	96.5	13 of 299	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	94.6	13 of 290	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	96.6	11 of 279	96.1%	★★★★★
2019	97.0	7 of 296	97.6%	★★★★★
2018	94.7	13 of 281	95.4%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.7	166 of 197	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.1	155 of 173	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	154 of 184	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.5	156 of 185	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	162 of 182	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.5	128 of 179	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.9	6 of 159	96.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	98.3	6 of 325	98.2%	★★★★★
2025	97.3	7 of 308	97.7%	★★★★★
2024	99.2	3 of 304	99.0%	★★★★★
2023	99.1	4 of 313	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	95.1	7 of 300	97.7%	★★★★★
2021	99.4	3 of 288	99.0%	★★★★★
2019	99.4	3 of 289	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	98.3	7 of 280	97.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.4	8 of 310	97.4%	★★★★★
2025	95.2	15 of 298	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	13 of 292	95.5%	★★★★★
2023	98.2	8 of 303	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	93.7	18 of 292	93.8%	★★★★★
2021	96.6	13 of 279	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	95.1	16 of 296	94.6%	★★★★★
2018	97.5	11 of 284	96.1%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	93.7	11 of 271	95.9%	★★★★★
2025	92.3	14 of 259	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	95.2	8 of 256	96.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.1	12 of 260	95.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	25 of 249	90.0%	★★★★★
2021	95.5	9 of 244	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	94.4	11 of 258	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	91.7	17 of 250	93.2%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)99th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)98th percentile~ school

Male (2026)97th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)96th percentile~ school

White (2026)96th percentile~ school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)16th percentile-80 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts88%+30 vs state

Mathematics80%+38 vs state

Science72%+20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southwood Academy for the Arts

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	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
Southwood Academy for the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-8	1110 Southwood Street	Anderson	29624	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	No	(864) 260-5205	409	34	11.9	55.3%	241 (58.9%)	93 (22.7%)	51 (12.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.1%)	96.9	14^th of 341 public middle schools	95.9%		96.5	14^th of 321 public middle schools	95.6%		85.7	89.4	89.6	77.2	79.6	85.4	72.2	$20,140	$1,273	$1,573	$2,846	$15,475	$1,819	$17,294
Robert Anderson Middle	Public	6-8	2302 Dobbins Bridge Road	Anderson	29625	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	No	No	No	(864) 716-3890	1,134	88	12.8	100.0%	385 (34.0%)	455 (40.1%)	204 (18.0%)	9 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (7.1%)	25.8	257^th of 341 public middle schools	24.6%		32.8	216^th of 321 public middle schools	32.7%	41	39.0	45.3	43.5	26.1	27.3	33.7	41.5	$13,695	$1,475	$1,252	$2,727	$9,746	$1,221	$10,968
McCants Middle	Public	6-8	2123 Marchbanks Avenue	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	No	No	No	(864) 260-5145	572	40	14.4	52.8%	329 (57.5%)	138 (24.1%)	42 (7.3%)	13 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.6%)	81.7	52^nd of 341 public middle schools	84.8%		77.7	63^rd of 321 public middle schools	80.4%	11	69.1	72.6	78.0	49.8	47.2	68.9	65.2	$14,751	$805	$1,181	$1,986	$11,226	$1,539	$12,765
Glenview Middle	Public	6-8	2575 Old Williamston Road	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	No	No	No	(864) 716-4060	677	53	12.8	64.0%	321 (47.4%)	225 (33.2%)	45 (6.6%)	16 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (10.3%)	74.5	74^th of 341 public middle schools	78.3%		73.5	74^th of 321 public middle schools	76.9%		69.5	65.4	61.0	50.5	59.0	50.5	65.5	$14,070	$817	$1,180	$1,997	$10,621	$1,452	$12,073
Starr-Iva Middle	Public	6-8	1034 Rainey Road	Starr	29684	Anderson County	Anderson 03	No	No	No	No	(864) 352-6146	616	39	15.7	61.4%	465 (75.5%)	56 (9.1%)	50 (8.1%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (6.0%)	72.6	80^th of 341 public middle schools	76.5%		70	82^nd of 321 public middle schools	74.5%	2	67.0	69.2	58.9	48.6	56.7	52.1	58.6	$12,977	$1,482	$804	$2,286	$9,620	$1,071	$10,691
Belton Middle	Public	6-8	102 Cherokee Road	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	No	(864) 338-6595	455	35	13.1	69.7%	302 (66.4%)	76 (16.7%)	35 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.2%)	70.6	86^th of 341 public middle schools	74.8%		61.4	105^th of 321 public middle schools	67.3%	19	68.9	61.6	64.3	60.7	43.0	47.0	62.1	$13,693	$2,321	$749	$3,070	$9,141	$1,482	$10,623
Riverside Middle	Public	7-8	458 Riverside Street	Pendleton	29670	Anderson County	Anderson 04	No	No	No	No	(864) 403-2200	453	32	14.1	64.1%	331 (73.1%)	63 (13.9%)	33 (7.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	87.5	39^th of 341 public middle schools	88.6%		87.3	37^th of 321 public middle schools	88.5%	2		73.0	71.1		64.6	66.9		$16,037	$687	$886	$1,573	$12,392	$2,072	$14,463
Palmetto Middle	Public	6-8	803 North Hamilton Street	Williamston	29697	Anderson County	Anderson 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 847-4333	749	54	13.8	64.8%	528 (70.5%)	56 (7.5%)	119 (15.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.5%)	79.2	60^th of 341 public middle schools	82.4%		76.2	65^th of 321 public middle schools	79.8%	5	68.1	71.8	68.2	45.1	56.4	63.1	63.7	$12,436	$1,240	$506	$1,746	$9,533	$1,156	$10,690
Honea Path Middle	Public	6-8	107 Brock Avenue	Honea Path	29654	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	No	(864) 369-7641	278	24	11.5	64.2%	224 (80.6%)	28 (10.1%)	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.8%)	73.5	78^th of 341 public middle schools	77.1%		83.4	47^th of 321 public middle schools	85.4%	31	59.2	70.5	68.2	51.0	61.4	44.8	61.3	$15,695	$2,805	$799	$3,604	$10,340	$1,750	$12,091
Wren Middle	Public	6-8	1010 Wren School Road	Piedmont	29673	Greenville County	Anderson 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 850-5930	910	58	15.7	46.4%	694 (76.3%)	77 (8.5%)	80 (8.8%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.5%)	84.3	44^th of 341 public middle schools	87.1%		88.5	34^th of 321 public middle schools	89.4%	10	71.1	68.4	74.1	55.0	58.1	69.6	66.4	$10,613	$694	$420	$1,114	$8,434	$1,065	$9,499

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwood Academy for the Arts

What is the racial makeup of Southwood Academy for the Arts?

Students at Southwood Academy for the Arts are 59% White, 23% African American, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Southwood Academy for the Arts in?

Anderson 05

Is Southwood Academy for the Arts a good school?

Yes! Southwood Academy for the Arts is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 14^th of 341 South Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend Southwood Academy for the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 409 students attended Southwood Academy for the Arts.

Rate Southwood Academy for the Arts!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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.