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Philip Simmons High

Q: Is Philip Simmons High a good school?

Philip Simmons High ranks 45 th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

45^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 82% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Philip Simmons High in Charleston, SC, serves 797 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Berkeley 01 district. This school has earned a solid reputation, consistently receiving 4-star ratings from the state over the past six years and ranking in the 82nd percentile statewide in the most recent year.

Philip Simmons High shines brightest in humanities. English 2 proficiency rates are outstanding at nearly 92%, and U.S. History scores are a remarkable 20 percentage points above the state average. The school also posts a strong 91.4% graduation rate and an exceptionally low dropout rate of just 0.4%. However, math is a clear area of concern—Algebra 1 proficiency has lagged about 15 points behind the state average for several years running. When compared to nearby schools, Philip Simmons significantly outperforms North Charleston High and Greg Mathis Charter High in English, but trails elite Mount Pleasant schools like Wando High and Lucy Garrett Beckham High by 15-30 points in most subjects.

There's encouraging momentum here. The school has made dramatic strides with students with disabilities, jumping from the 23rd to the 71st percentile in a single year, and has shown significant improvement with economically disadvantaged students. Chronic absenteeism, however, has nearly doubled since 2020 to 21.1%, which may be contributing to the math struggles. The school also spends less per student ($14,622) than many nearby Charleston 01 schools yet achieves better outcomes, suggesting efficient resource use. While the school's overall numbers look strong, the next few years will be telling as it works to close achievement gaps and build on its recent progress.

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: Holding steady — 84th percentile in 2021 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (79% vs 69% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of South Carolina high schools

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

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg68%

South Carolina avg69%

45^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 2 pts since 2021

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 8High Schools in the Berkeley 01

32^nd 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
2026	78.7	45 of 248	81.9%	★★★★☆
2025	66.6	58 of 240	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	59 of 243	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
2026	25.0	161 of 200	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.0	190 of 196	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	163 of 197	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	65.7	39 of 136	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	29.4	108 of 140	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.4	64 of 147	56.5%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	79.0	42 of 229	81.7%	★★★★☆
2025	66.7	65 of 229	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.9	49 of 231	78.8%	★★★★☆
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
2026	66.8	61 of 155	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.6	67 of 154	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	105 of 158	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.5	46 of 156	70.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	128 of 241	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	19.6	193 of 230	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	190 of 235	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	74.2	52 of 233	77.7%	★★★★☆
2025	65.6	57 of 228	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	62.9	64 of 234	72.6%	★★★★☆
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
2026	78.8	34 of 203	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	77.9	27 of 200	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	43 of 202	78.7%	★★★★☆
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 (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)78th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2026)71st percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)61st percentile-21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile-35 vs school

African American (2026)20th percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 292%+8 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution79%+17 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 266%+5 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (2026)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2026)	EOCEP English 2 (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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 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	31.8%	546 (68.5%)	170 (21.3%)	35 (4.4%)	11 (1.4%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.9%)	78.7	45^th of 248 public high schools	81.9%		66.6	58^th of 240 public high schools	75.8%	13									65.7	79.5	91.9	$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%)	90.8	19^th of 248 public high schools	92.3%					(n/a)									84.0	79.0	97.7
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	18.0%	2,061 (79.6%)	252 (9.7%)	128 (4.9%)	67 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.1%)	78 (3.0%)	93.8	12^th of 248 public high schools	95.2%		88.8	12^th of 240 public high schools	95.0%										87.6	85.9	97.3	$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	19.8%	1,439 (81.9%)	157 (8.9%)	84 (4.8%)	32 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (2.4%)	91.2	17^th of 248 public high schools	93.1%		87.4	15^th of 240 public high schools	93.8%	2									82.2	83.8	95.8	$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	100.0%	43 (5.2%)	520 (62.7%)	242 (29.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.9%)	3.8	240^th of 248 public high schools	3.2%		4.1	236^th of 240 public high schools	1.7%	4									31.6	20.1	61.4	$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	100.0%	11 (2.8%)	235 (59.8%)	133 (33.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	10 (2.5%)	61.8	96^th of 248 public high schools	61.3%		51	107^th of 240 public high schools	55.4%	11	43.1	44.4	67.9	30.8	22.3	55.4	29.3		65.2	49.1	93.1	$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	82.9%	38 (15.2%)	158 (63.2%)	40 (16.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.2%)	63.4	88^th of 248 public high schools	64.5%		71.6	46^th of 240 public high schools	80.8%	42	34.1	54.2	47.5	20.5	27.1	27.5	11.4	83.3	56.8	47.8	93.5	$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	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	70 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0.9	247^th of 248 public high schools	0.4%		1.3	239^th of 240 public high schools	0.4%	8									18.5	6.3		$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 45^th of 248 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 »

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.