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River Ridge Academy

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-8

53^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

River Ridge Academy is a public school in Bluffton, SC, serving 1,134 students in grades PK through 8 within the Beaufort 01 school district. It is the largest school in its immediate area and one of the few in the region that offers a continuous PK–8 pathway, which helps students avoid the transition shock that often comes with switching schools between elementary and middle school.

Academically, River Ridge Academy is a standout. In the 2025–2026 school year, it ranked 53rd out of 649 elementary schools in South Carolina, placing it in the 92nd percentile and earning a 5-star rating. This represents a dramatic jump from the previous year (114th) and continues a multi-year upward trend. Test scores are consistently 12 to 28 percentage points above state averages in English Language Arts and math across all grade levels. Science proficiency is also exceptional, with 4th and 6th graders posting rates near 75% compared to the state average of about 52%. Perhaps most impressive is the school's Algebra 1 End-of-Course pass rate of 100%, compared to the district's 68% and the state's 74%. Chronic absenteeism is also remarkably low at 8.1%, versus 21.3% for the district and 22.3% for the state.

Compared to nearby schools, River Ridge Academy outperforms most peers, including Red Cedar Elementary and Pritchardville Elementary, and far exceeds schools like Michael C. Riley Elementary and Hardeeville Elementary in the Jasper 01 district. Notably, River Ridge achieves these results while spending less per student ($14,899) than many of its lower-performing neighbors, suggesting strong instructional efficiency. While the school excels broadly, there is room for growth in serving gifted and disabled students, and 7th-grade math (50.4% proficiency) is a relative weak spot—though still above district and state averages.

1,134

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,502

Per pupil spending ?

42.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2023-24) ?

91%

Students (all grades) with required immunizations (2025-26)

3050 River Ridge Drive
Bluffton, SC 29910

(843) 836-4600

District: Beaufort 01

Students who attend River Ridge Academy usually attend:

High:

May River High

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.8%

Hispanic:

26.7%

African American:

6.5%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare River Ridge Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 88th percentile in 2018 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (72% vs 54% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Beaufort 01

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school72%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg54%

Elementary school

53^rd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 4 pts since 2018

From top 12% (2018) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

46^th of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 4 pts since 2018

From top 10% (2018) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 19Elementary Schools in the Beaufort 01

28^th of 75Beaufort 01 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.6	53 of 661	92.0%	★★★★★
2025	80.0	114 of 639	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	120 of 643	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	76.1	141 of 644	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	81.3	107 of 625	82.9%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	104 of 622	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	78.3	124 of 643	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	85.1	77 of 624	87.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	57.0	159 of 421	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	55.5	57 of 147	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.8	68 of 143	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.4	112 of 174	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	122 of 189	35.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.5	16 of 106	84.9%	★★★★☆
2025	69.1	25 of 104	76.0%	★★★★☆
2023	61.5	21 of 72	70.8%	★★★★☆
2022	67.6	21 of 84	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	64.9	30 of 84	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.3	49 of 104	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.5	11 of 82	86.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.0	39 of 599	93.5%	★★★★★
2025	73.7	144 of 580	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	121 of 568	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.9	171 of 580	70.5%	★★★★☆
2022	81.7	101 of 573	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	73.0	138 of 554	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	123 of 588	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	78.4	108 of 570	81.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	91 of 196	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	40 of 101	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	50 of 82	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.6	53 of 105	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.1	48 of 109	56.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	34 of 159	78.6%	★★★★☆
2025	72.0	35 of 156	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	77.8	16 of 114	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	38 of 115	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.8	34 of 115	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	79.6	11 of 86	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	63.7	42 of 116	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.5	15 of 104	85.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.7	54 of 634	91.5%	★★★★★
2025	71.4	145 of 612	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	72.0	143 of 602	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	141 of 608	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	79.3	100 of 600	83.3%	★★★★☆
2021	81.2	85 of 580	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	58.4	252 of 600	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.1	89 of 588	84.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.9	81 of 591	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	81.6	86 of 585	85.3%	★★★★☆
2024	79.8	109 of 571	80.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.4	131 of 582	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	125 of 579	78.4%	★★★★☆
2021	84.4	75 of 561	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	76.9	124 of 590	79.0%	★★★★☆
2018	86.1	68 of 571	88.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.2	41 of 463	91.1%	★★★★★
2025	73.3	114 of 459	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	71.6	120 of 446	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	68.8	141 of 463	69.5%	★★★★☆
2022	77.1	89 of 455	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	77 of 439	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	77.9	79 of 472	83.3%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	71 of 457	84.5%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	83.6	46 of 341	86.5%	★★★★☆
2025	75.6	66 of 321	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	87.5	38 of 322	88.2%	★★★★☆
2023	85.8	43 of 325	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	91.5	22 of 310	92.9%	★★★★★
2021	84.8	39 of 311	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	84.1	45 of 315	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	87.2	30 of 303	90.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	71.2	39 of 252	84.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	67.5	36 of 184	80.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.1	38 of 113	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	39 of 110	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.8	33 of 104	68.3%	★★★★☆
2023	50.2	43 of 95	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.7	17 of 97	82.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.8	20 of 87	77.0%	★★★★☆
2019	66.0	33 of 117	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	88.2	8 of 93	91.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.6	48 of 310	84.5%	★★★★☆
2025	59.3	104 of 295	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	84.0	40 of 293	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	72.1	69 of 299	76.9%	★★★★☆
2022	90.2	23 of 290	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	82.6	42 of 279	84.9%	★★★★☆
2019	85.9	37 of 296	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	82.5	41 of 281	85.4%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.3	73 of 197	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.6	74 of 173	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	77.1	23 of 184	87.5%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	35 of 185	81.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	23 of 182	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.5	74 of 179	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.8	45 of 159	71.7%	★★★★☆
2025	55.6	63 of 156	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.6	35 of 144	75.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.6	33 of 141	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	88.1	12 of 129	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	78.2	16 of 111	85.6%	★★★★☆
2019	70.0	35 of 139	74.8%	★★★★☆
2018	85.6	16 of 123	87.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	65.4	90 of 325	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	58.2	103 of 308	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.3	39 of 304	87.2%	★★★★☆
2023	90.4	21 of 313	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	92.7	12 of 300	96.0%	★★★★★
2021	77.5	46 of 288	84.0%	★★★★☆
2019	76.1	52 of 289	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	87.0	27 of 280	90.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.7	53 of 310	82.9%	★★★★☆
2025	84.6	38 of 298	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.7	35 of 292	88.0%	★★★★☆
2023	91.3	21 of 303	93.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.3	24 of 292	91.8%	★★★★★
2021	84.6	36 of 279	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	82.3	48 of 296	83.8%	★★★★☆
2018	87.7	27 of 284	90.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.7	49 of 271	81.9%	★★★★☆
2025	73.7	63 of 259	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	30 of 256	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	83.5	37 of 260	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	89.3	21 of 249	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	85.2	30 of 244	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	84.0	38 of 258	85.3%	★★★★☆
2018	79.3	40 of 250	84.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile~ school

White (2026)91st percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)85th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)79th percentile-13 vs school

African American (2019)62nd percentile-18 vs school

Disabled (2025)61st percentile-21 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)54th percentile-38 vs school

Middle school

African American (2019)85th percentile~ school

Female (2026)85th percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)82nd percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2025)80th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)72nd percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)66th percentile-20 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)63rd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts76%+15 vs state

Science75%+23 vs state

Mathematics67%+19 vs state

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Schools Near River Ridge Academy

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2023-24)	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 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	Vaccination: Students (all grades) with required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	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
River Ridge Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	3050 River Ridge Drive	Bluffton	29910	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 836-4600	1,134	85	13.3	42.1%	655 (57.8%)	74 (6.5%)	303 (26.7%)	38 (3.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (5.4%)	89.6	53^rd of 661 public elementary schools	92.0%		80	114^th of 639 public elementary schools	82.2%	61	85.4	81.8	82.2	68.1	69.6	71.3	87.6	70.7	71.4	61.4	50.4	67.2	74.6	74.8	91%		$17,502	$496	$490	$986	$13,210	$3,306	$16,516
Pritchardville Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9447 Evan Way	Bluffton	29910	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 707-0500	887	79	11.2	49.0%	455 (51.3%)	66 (7.4%)	300 (33.8%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.3%)	75.6	151^st of 661 public elementary schools	77.2%		78.9	128^th of 639 public elementary schools	80.0%	23	74.6	69.7	75.6				77.4	58.0	61.1				58.7		96%		$13,697	$388	$581	$968	$9,368	$3,361	$12,729
Bluffton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	160 H.E. McCracken Circle	Bluffton	29910	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 706-8500	709	68	10.4	57.7%	270 (38.1%)	69 (9.7%)	310 (43.7%)	19 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.5%)	65.4	218^th of 661 public elementary schools	67.0%		65.8	220^th of 639 public elementary schools	65.6%	2	62.6	69.4	64.9				65.8	61.1	55.3				60.2		96%		$21,345	$1,027	$839	$1,867	$15,251	$4,228	$19,479
Okatie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	53 Cherry Point Road	Bluffton	29909	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 322-7700	648	49	13.3	50.1%	360 (55.6%)	52 (8.0%)	192 (29.6%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.7%)	72.9	170^th of 661 public elementary schools	74.3%		79.1	125^th of 639 public elementary schools	80.4%	45	83.8	73.5	55.6				78.8	68.4	51.3				66.4		93%		$15,587	$401	$674	$1,075	$10,824	$3,689	$14,512
Red Cedar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10 Box Elder Street	Bluffton	29910	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 707-0600	636	59	10.7	60.7%	270 (42.5%)	57 (9.0%)	275 (43.2%)	7 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.9%)	77.1	140^th of 661 public elementary schools	78.8%		79.5	119^th of 639 public elementary schools	81.4%	21	66.7	80.0	74.4				68.6	64.9	61.0				66.0		95%		$19,837	$831	$922	$1,752	$14,584	$3,500	$18,085
Michael C. Riley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Burnt Church Road	Bluffton	29910	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 706-8300	704	74	9.5	73.1%	168 (23.9%)	54 (7.7%)	461 (65.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.4%)	27.9	474^th of 661 public elementary schools	28.3%		21.7	514^th of 639 public elementary schools	19.6%	40	43.3	48.4	45.7				45.2	48.4	40.6				45.1		96%		$19,874	$781	$726	$1,507	$14,401	$3,965	$18,366
Heartwood Community School	Public, Charter	K-3	100 Discovery Lane	Ridgeland	29936	Jasper County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 547-8124	87	15	5.8	53.2%	20 (23.0%)	41 (47.1%)	17 (19.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (10.3%)								(n/a)	60.0						52.0								93%		$54,174	$393	$91	$484	$37,937	$15,753	$53,690
Hardeeville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Hurricane Alley	Hardeeville	29927	Jasper County	Jasper 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 310-1888	691	33	20.9	—	40 (5.8%)	172 (24.9%)	468 (67.7%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	3.7	657^th of 661 public elementary schools	0.6%		3.7	636^th of 639 public elementary schools	0.5%	21	21.3	26.8	29.2				19.2	15.0	26.7				17.8		82%
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	10 Bus Drive	Hilton Head Island	29926	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 342-4380	496	50	9.9	64.2%	147 (29.6%)	81 (16.3%)	243 (49.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.8%)	25.1	498^th of 661 public elementary schools	24.7%		37	399^th of 639 public elementary schools	37.6%	99	42.9	52.2	54.2				46.2	34.1	38.6				37.2		≥ 96%		$25,349	$548	$873	$1,422	$19,865	$4,062	$23,928
Hilton Head Island Elementary	Public, Magnet	1-5	30 School Road	Hilton Head Island	29926	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 342-4100	702	77	9.1	57.7%	232 (33.0%)	63 (9.0%)	372 (53.0%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.1%)	56.1	272^nd of 661 public elementary schools	58.9%		54.7	276^th of 639 public elementary schools	56.8%	4	63.9	63.7	61.5				56.4	50.0	54.0				57.8		96%		$19,581	$436	$806	$1,242	$14,756	$3,583	$18,339

Frequently Asked Questions about River Ridge Academy

What district is River Ridge Academy in?

Beaufort 01

How many students attend River Ridge Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,134 students attended River Ridge Academy.

What is the racial makeup of River Ridge Academy?

Students at River Ridge Academy are 58% White, 27% Hispanic, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is River Ridge Academy a good school?

Yes. River Ridge Academy ranks in the top 8.0% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of River Ridge Academy attend?

Students who attend River Ridge Academy usually go on to attend:

High : May River High

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 20, 2026

2025–26 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data & dropout ratesOct 12, 2026

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.