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Fort Dorchester High

Q: Is Fort Dorchester High a good school?

Fort Dorchester High ranks 84 th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

84^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 66% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Fort Dorchester High is a large public high school in North Charleston, SC, serving 2,344 students in grades 9-12 within the Dorchester 02 school district.

Fort Dorchester stands out as a reliable, comprehensive high school with exceptional student outcomes in several key areas. Its graduation rate of 94.8% is a clear differentiator, significantly outpacing nearby traditional public schools like Hanahan High (82.0%), Stratford High (83.8%), and R.B. Stall High (77.8%). Its dropout rate of just 1.0% is less than half the state average, indicating a strong culture of student retention. The school also excels in English and History, with proficiency rates at or above state averages. For example, its U.S. History proficiency of 68.15% is well above Stratford High's 53.19% and Goose Creek High's 54.62%. Additionally, at $11,548 per student, Fort Dorchester is one of the most cost-effective schools in the area, achieving strong results while spending significantly less than schools like Charleston School of the Arts ($21,166) or R.B. Stall High ($18,862).

However, there are areas of concern that parents should be aware of. The most significant is a dramatic decline in Algebra 1 proficiency, which plummeted from 86.53% in 2023-2024 to just 43.76% in 2025-2026—a 42.77 percentage point drop that places the school well below the state average of 64.58%. This decline is the most severe among nearby schools and suggests a potential issue with math instruction or curriculum alignment. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 27.5%, which is higher than the state average of 22.3%. This creates an interesting paradox: while students are graduating at high rates, over a quarter are not consistently attending classes, which may be contributing to the recent ranking dip and math score decline. Additionally, the school's effectiveness with Disabled Students and Military Connected Students has declined sharply in recent years, dropping from 3-star and 4-star ratings respectively to 2-star ratings in 2025-2026.

Despite these challenges, Fort Dorchester remains a strong option compared to its immediate neighbors. It significantly outperforms the traditional public schools in the Berkeley 01 district and the struggling R.B. Stall High in its own county. While it doesn't match the elite performance of magnet schools like Charleston School of the Arts or Palmetto Scholars Academy, it offers a much better graduation rate and overall academic performance than most traditional public high schools in the area. For parents seeking a comprehensive public school with strong graduation outcomes and solid humanities instruction, Fort Dorchester is a dependable choice—though it's worth monitoring the math program and attendance patterns closely.

2,344

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,548

Per pupil spending ?

60.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8500 Patriot Boulevard
North Charleston, SC 29420

(843) 760-4450

District: Dorchester 02

Feeder schools for Fort Dorchester High:

Elementary:	Eagle Nest Elementary
	Fort Dorchester Elementary
	Joseph R. Pye Elementary
	Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary
Middle:	River Oaks Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.3%

White:

29.6%

Hispanic:

17.5%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Fort Dorchester High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 69th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the South Carolina average (87%)

✓Above the South Carolina median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 scores 21 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg73%

South Carolina avg69%

84^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Dorchester 02

20^th of 75Dorchester 02 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	64.5	84 of 248	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.0	63 of 240	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	63.3	70 of 243	71.2%	★★★★☆
2023	64.9	63 of 237	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.1	67 of 226	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	65.1	59 of 227	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	50 of 225	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	63.6	46 of 216	78.7%	★★★★☆
2017	55.6	64 of 223	71.3%	★★★★☆
2016	57.7	71 of 231	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	61.2	57 of 232	75.4%	★★★★☆
2014	73.8	50 of 210	76.2%	★★★★☆
2013	70.5	57 of 203	71.9%	★★★★☆
2012	74.6	48 of 202	76.2%	★★★★☆
2011	63.6	72 of 199	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.0	54 of 199	72.9%	★★★★☆
2009	68.7	58 of 188	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.7	50 of 185	73.0%	★★★★☆
2007	68.3	47 of 191	75.4%	★★★★☆
2006	74.6	22 of 191	88.5%	★★★★☆
2005	74.6	26 of 187	86.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.0	56 of 200	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	35 of 196	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	34 of 197	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.1	32 of 199	83.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	32 of 190	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	78.6	19 of 178	89.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	17 of 184	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	75.7	20 of 183	89.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	9 of 13	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	70.0	4 of 13	69.2%	★★★★☆
2024	27.0	11 of 13	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	2.8	11 of 11	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	63.7	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.7	1 of 7	85.7%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.0	94 of 136	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.1	68 of 140	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	55 of 147	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.2	38 of 141	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	54.7	52 of 139	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.9	43 of 115	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.4	44 of 143	69.2%	★★★★☆
2018	55.3	53 of 137	61.3%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	22 of 59	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.4	16 of 70	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.8	13 of 71	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	73.5	14 of 68	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	7 of 61	88.5%	★★★★★
2021	84.1	5 of 46	89.1%	★★★★★
2019	80.0	10 of 64	84.4%	★★★★☆
2018	76.4	10 of 58	82.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.5	55 of 229	76.0%	★★★★☆
2025	70.2	53 of 229	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	63.7	68 of 231	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	64.4	68 of 223	69.5%	★★★★☆
2022	58.6	75 of 220	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.3	66 of 213	69.0%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	55 of 213	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.7	35 of 210	83.3%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.0	19 of 155	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	71.9	11 of 154	92.9%	★★★★★
2024	66.3	59 of 158	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.9	65 of 156	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	41 of 124	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	33 of 122	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	63.5	38 of 122	68.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.0	16 of 119	86.6%	★★★★☆
2022	69.7	24 of 108	77.8%	★★★★☆
2021	77.7	13 of 93	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	81.1	7 of 86	91.9%	★★★★★
2018	82.8	8 of 80	90.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.0	84 of 241	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.8	60 of 230	73.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	61 of 235	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	63.4	59 of 226	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	62.2	60 of 220	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	63.7	51 of 213	76.1%	★★★★☆
2019	61.1	44 of 217	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	43 of 214	79.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	55.3	102 of 233	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.2	77 of 228	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	69 of 234	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	64.1	65 of 229	71.6%	★★★★☆
2022	61.6	61 of 224	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.4	53 of 215	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	62.2	46 of 218	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	58 of 213	72.8%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.4	15 of 21	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.2	8 of 21	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	3 of 15	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	5 of 15	66.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.6	14 of 61	77.0%	★★★★☆
2025	79.3	10 of 59	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	88.1	3 of 53	94.3%	★★★★★
2023	81.3	8 of 57	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	62.0	17 of 48	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.9	10 of 31	67.7%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	6 of 23	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	92.0	1 of 22	95.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.8	51 of 203	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	77.7	29 of 200	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	74.7	37 of 202	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	46 of 197	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.8	36 of 192	81.3%	★★★★☆
2021	72.7	35 of 189	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.5	26 of 191	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	72.0	30 of 185	83.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Gifted and Talented (2026)88th percentile+22 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)77th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)76th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2026)72nd percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)67th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)65th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)63rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2026)31st percentile-35 vs school

Asian (2026)31st percentile-35 vs school

Military Connected (2026)29th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 285%~ state avg

U.S. History and the Constitution68%+6 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 266%+5 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 244%-21 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★1

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, February 24, 2018

Fort Dorchester High School provides a number of various academic pursuits for the academically inclined. Students can pursue an Advanced Placement Capstone diploma, an International Baccalaureate diploma (FDHS is the only high school in the Dorchester District 2 with an IB program), Dual Enrollment, multiple AP, IB and Honors classes to choose from.
I feel my child is receiving a quality education at FDHS with the necessary opportunities to prepare them for success in their chosen career in the field of Engineering. The staff and administration are dedicated to the success of their students education. Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Forts an "okay" school. I hope you/your child has an outgoing personality, otherwise they will get unnoticed by the students and Teachers. its best if you/they play a sport that way the coach or teammates will look out for them. this school has gone through many changes since I started a couple years ago. you'll do just fine in this school if you mind your own (the students aren't loyal). Their are few to little fights here and rarely any pep-rallies or student activities ( most you have to pay a small fee for)!! they have a good sports department also, fort is generally a good school; but has minor issues that need to be fixed. Close Quote

Schools Near Fort Dorchester 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
Fort Dorchester High	Public	9-12	8500 Patriot Boulevard	North Charleston	29420	Dorchester County	Dorchester 02	No	No	No	No	(843) 760-4450	2,344	135	17.3	60.1%	694 (29.6%)	967 (41.3%)	410 (17.5%)	83 (3.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	186 (7.9%)	64.5	84^th of 248 public high schools	66.1%		65	63^rd of 240 public high schools	73.8%	21								43.8	66.0	68.2	84.8	$11,548	$672	$732	$1,405	$8,723	$1,420	$10,144
R. B. Stall High	Public	9-12	3625 Ashley Phosphate Road	North Charleston	29418	Charleston County	Charleston 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 764-2200	2,135	138	15.4	100.0%	149 (7.0%)	848 (39.7%)	1,030 (48.2%)	22 (1.0%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	80 (3.7%)	14.9	226^th of 248 public high schools	8.9%		15.2	211^th of 240 public high schools	12.1%	15								48.1	38.3	42.2	67.9	$18,862	$3,975	$1,544	$5,519	$10,091	$3,252	$13,343
Palmetto Scholars Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	7499 Dorchester Road	North Charleston	29418	Charleston County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 300-4118	507	35	14.4	26.6%	236 (46.5%)	132 (26.0%)	67 (13.2%)	38 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.3%)	88.5	23^rd of 248 public high schools	90.7%		76	36^th of 240 public high schools	85.0%	13	75.0	87.0	69.6	55.8	65.5	36.7	69.0	89.8	77.3	77.5	100.0	$10,156	$250	$284	$535	$6,830	$2,792	$9,621
Berkeley County Middle College High	Public	11-12	7000 Rivers Avenue Bldg 700 St	Charleston	29406	Charleston County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 899-8110	117	5	23.4	35.4%	59 (50.4%)	27 (23.1%)	13 (11.1%)	7 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	10 (8.5%)								(n/a)										96.7		$19,803	$220	$5,077	$5,297	$12,324	$2,182	$14,507
Palmetto Excel	Public, Charter	9-12	7000 Rivers Avenue Building 10	North Charleston	29406	Charleston County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 734-8322	0	3	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										39.1
Learn4Life High School-Charleston	Public, Charter	9-12	6209 Rivers Avenue	N Charleston	29406	Charleston County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 666-6362	169	7	23.4	97.8%	23 (13.6%)	83 (49.1%)	56 (33.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.0%)	7.1	237^th of 248 public high schools	4.4%		4.9	235^th of 240 public high schools	2.1%	2								40.0	30.4	22.8	65.4	$11,995	$651	$567	$1,218	$4,840	$5,937	$10,777
Lowcountry Acceleration Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	5935 Rivers Avenue suite 101A	N Charleston	29406	Charleston County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 804-6778	619	15	42.6	13.9%	191 (30.9%)	294 (47.5%)	107 (17.3%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.2%)	3.2	241^st of 248 public high schools	2.8%		11.1	221^st of 240 public high schools	7.9%	20									18.9	28.4	62.5	$11,237	$74	$471	$545	$179	$10,514	$10,692
Hanahan High	Public	9-12	6015 Murray Drive	Hanahan	29410	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 820-3710	1,061	64	16.5	51.2%	537 (50.6%)	109 (10.3%)	261 (24.6%)	38 (3.6%)	16 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	98 (9.2%)	71.6	61^st of 248 public high schools	75.4%		50.5	108^th of 240 public high schools	55.0%	47								31.0	75.6	71.0	85.6	$14,018	$617	$780	$1,397	$10,911	$1,709	$12,620
Stratford High	Public	9-12	951 Crowfield Boulevard	Goose Creek	29445	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 820-4000	2,605	163	15.9	66.1%	1,010 (38.8%)	711 (27.3%)	571 (21.9%)	44 (1.7%)	12 (0.5%)	3 (0.1%)	254 (9.8%)	54.8	115^th of 248 public high schools	53.6%		42.9	131^st of 240 public high schools	45.4%	16								56.3	68.1	53.2	82.7	$12,626	$450	$900	$1,350	$9,531	$1,745	$11,275
Goose Creek High	Public, Magnet	9-12	1137 Red Bank Road	Goose Creek	29445	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 553-4064	1,973	119	16.6	76.0%	544 (27.6%)	726 (36.8%)	451 (22.9%)	36 (1.8%)	9 (0.5%)	4 (0.2%)	203 (10.3%)	49.5	126^th of 248 public high schools	49.2%		40.5	141^st of 240 public high schools	41.3%	15								23.1	61.0	54.6	83.1	$11,827	$411	$854	$1,265	$8,643	$1,920	$10,562

Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Dorchester High

What district is Fort Dorchester High in?

Dorchester 02

How many students attend Fort Dorchester High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,344 students attended Fort Dorchester High.

What schools feed into Fort Dorchester High?

Fort Dorchester High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Eagle Nest Elementary
Elementary : Fort Dorchester Elementary
Elementary : Joseph R. Pye Elementary
Elementary : Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary
Middle : River Oaks Middle

Is Fort Dorchester High a good school?

Fort Dorchester High ranks 84^th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Fort Dorchester High?

Students at Fort Dorchester High are 41% African American, 30% White, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

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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.