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Philip Simmons High

Q: Is Philip Simmons High a good school?

Philip Simmons High ranks 57 th of 235 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

57^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 235 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 76% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Philip Simmons High is a public high school in Charleston, SC, serving 797 students in grades 9-12 and part of the Berkeley 01 school district, which is ranked 36th out of 75 districts in the state. The school has earned a consistent 4-star rating for the past five years, with strong overall state rankings between the 76th and 84th percentiles, indicating reliable high performance. It stands out for exceptional proficiency in English and U.S. History, with rates like 92.2% in English 2 and 75.45% in U.S. History, significantly outperforming nearby schools like North Charleston High (25.26% in English 1) and Military Magnet Academy (46.51% in English 1). However, its Algebra 1 proficiency (57.24%) is a notable weakness, falling below both district (65.63%) and state (73.95%) averages, and trailing elite schools like Wando High (90.2%) and Lucy Garrett Beckham High (91.56%).

A critical concern is the severe and widening equity gap for specific student subgroups. While the school excels for White students (86th percentile), it performs in the bottom 3% of the state for African American students and the bottom 16% for low socio-economic status students, with these rankings dropping sharply from the 42nd and 35th percentiles, respectively, over the past two years. Support for disabled students has also declined dramatically, from an 85th percentile to a 23rd percentile, and gifted and talented programming has been inconsistent. This creates a paradox where the school is a high performer for many but is failing a significant minority, suggesting a clear ceiling that prevents it from reaching the top tier of 5-star schools like Charleston School of the Arts or Wando High.

Despite these challenges, Philip Simmons High demonstrates strong efficiency, spending $14,622 per student—significantly less than nearby schools like Wando High ($17,790) and North Charleston High ($26,208)—while achieving a high graduation rate (91.4%) and low dropout rate (0.4%). Its chronic absenteeism rate (21.1%) is slightly better than the state average (22.3%) but higher than elite peers like Charleston School of the Arts (5.9%). The school provides a solid foundation, particularly in humanities, but must address its math proficiency and equity gaps to improve further. For parents, this school offers strong overall outcomes with notable disparities that warrant careful consideration.

797

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,622

Per pupil spending ?

31.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3080 River Village Drive
Charleston, SC 29492

(843) 471-2960

District: Berkeley 01

Feeder schools for Philip Simmons High:

Elementary:	Cainhoy Elementary
	Daniel Island School
	Philip Simmons Elementary
Middle:	Philip Simmons Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.5%

African American:

21.3%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Philip Simmons High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2021 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (78% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of South Carolina high schools

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the South Carolina average (87%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2021

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

!Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 scores 17 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school78%

District avg69%

South Carolina avg71%

57^th of 235

South Carolina public high schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 8 pts since 2021

From top 16% (2021) to top 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 8High Schools in the Berkeley 01

36^th of 75Berkeley 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	57 of 235	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	57 of 235	75.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.0	49 of 237	79.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.8	50 of 226	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	74.1	36 of 227	84.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	7.0	189 of 194	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	161 of 194	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.8	116 of 199	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.7	117 of 190	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.3	66 of 178	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.3	66 of 184	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.1	61 of 183	66.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.4	107 of 139	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.4	63 of 145	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.2	21 of 141	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	56.9	47 of 139	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	66.7	64 of 225	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.9	48 of 225	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	70.4	53 of 223	76.2%	★★★★☆
2022	65.3	55 of 220	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	72.1	37 of 213	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	60.7	60 of 213	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	48.2	91 of 210	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	64.6	66 of 153	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	104 of 157	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.5	46 of 156	70.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	19.6	190 of 226	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	185 of 229	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.5	146 of 226	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	143 of 220	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.1	58 of 213	72.8%	★★★★☆
2019	43.6	94 of 217	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.7	84 of 214	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	56 of 224	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	61 of 228	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	47 of 229	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.0	45 of 224	79.9%	★★★★☆
2021	74.4	30 of 215	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.7	58 of 218	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	44 of 213	79.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	77.9	27 of 196	86.2%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	43 of 196	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	77.1	36 of 197	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.7	43 of 192	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	78.7	23 of 189	87.8%	★★★★☆
2019	70.5	27 of 191	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	40 of 185	78.4%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2025)86th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2025)75th percentile~ school

Female (2025)72nd percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)57th percentile-19 vs school

Disabled (2025)23rd percentile-53 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile-60 vs school

African American (2025)3rd percentile-73 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English 292%+6 vs state

English 180%+18 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution75%+14 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 257%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Philip Simmons High

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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 (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 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	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
Philip Simmons High	Public	9-12	3080 River Village Drive	Charleston	29492	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 471-2960	797	55	14.4		546 (68.5%)	170 (21.3%)	35 (4.4%)	11 (1.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.9%)	66.6	57^th of 235 public high schools	75.7%		65.9	57^th of 235 public high schools	75.7%									57.2	79.6	75.5	92.2	$14,622	$563	$824	$1,387	$10,936	$2,299	$13,235
Oceanside Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	580 Faison Rd	Mount Pleasant	29466	Charleston County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 936-7128	623	26	23.9		528 (84.8%)	24 (3.9%)	49 (7.9%)	8 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)								(n/a)
East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies	Public	9-12	900 Warrior Way	Mount Pleasant	29466	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 856-5800	0	24	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Wando High	Public	9-12	1000 Warrior Way	Mount Pleasant	29466	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 881-8200	2,588	145	17.8		2,061 (79.6%)	252 (9.7%)	128 (4.9%)	67 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	78 (3.0%)	88.8	12^th of 235 public high schools	94.9%		86.8	15^th of 235 public high schools	93.6%	3								90.2	87.4	88.7	97.7	$17,790	$3,027	$1,136	$4,163	$10,835	$2,792	$13,627
Lucy Garrett Beckham High	Public	9-12	1560 Mathis Ferry Road	Mount Pleasant	29464	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 856-6790	1,757	101	17.3		1,439 (81.9%)	157 (8.9%)	84 (4.8%)	32 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (2.4%)	87.4	15^th of 235 public high schools	93.6%		84.8	21^st of 235 public high schools	91.1%	6								91.6	83.6	84.0	96.7	$17,746	$3,060	$1,143	$4,203	$10,662	$2,881	$13,543
Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies	Public	9-12	1088 East Montague Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 953-3231	0	15	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Charleston High	Public	9-12	1087 East Montague Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 745-7140	829	90	9.2		43 (5.2%)	520 (62.7%)	242 (29.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.9%)	4.1	231^st of 235 public high schools	1.7%		2.6	233^rd of 235 public high schools	0.9%	2								55.8	25.3	23.1	60.0	$26,208	$4,989	$2,440	$7,430	$14,033	$4,745	$18,778
Military Magnet Academy	Public, Magnet	6-12	2950 Carner Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 745-7102	393	45	8.6		11 (2.8%)	235 (59.8%)	133 (33.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.5%)	51	106^th of 235 public high schools	54.9%		28.2	170^th of 235 public high schools	27.7%	64	32.6	49.2	53.2	23.9	23.7	7.8	28.3	84.5	46.5	32.1	92.5	$41,580	$4,727	$7,198	$11,925	$22,549	$7,106	$29,655
Allegro Charter School of Music	Public, Charter	6-12	4542 Simms Avenue	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 321-7104	250	27	9.2		38 (15.2%)	158 (63.2%)	40 (16.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.2%)	71.6	45^th of 235 public high schools	80.9%		73.4	41^st of 235 public high schools	82.6%	4	43.7	42.9	58.1	29.2	21.5	7.0	31.3		64.5	63.7	100.0	$25,011	$2,256	$15	$2,271	$14,880	$7,860	$22,740
Greg Mathis Charter High	Public, Charter	9-12	2872 Azalea Drive	North Charleston	29405	Charleston County	Charleston 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 557-1611	71	5	14.2		0 (0.0%)	70 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	1.3	234^th of 235 public high schools	0.4%		0.9	235^th of 235 public high schools	0.0%	1									9.5	8.3	70.0	$29,784	$3,250	$1,095	$4,345	$14,185	$11,254	$25,439

Frequently Asked Questions about Philip Simmons High

What is the racial makeup of Philip Simmons High?

Students at Philip Simmons High are 69% White, 21% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Philip Simmons High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 797 students attended Philip Simmons High.

What schools feed into Philip Simmons High?

Philip Simmons High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cainhoy Elementary
Elementary : Daniel Island School
Elementary : Philip Simmons Elementary
Middle : Philip Simmons Middle

What district is Philip Simmons High in?

Berkeley 01

Is Philip Simmons High a good school?

Philip Simmons High ranks 57^th of 235 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Philip Simmons High!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

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

2023–24 school spending dataAug 28, 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.