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Carolina Forest High

Q: Is Carolina Forest High a good school?

Carolina Forest High ranks 46 th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

46^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 248 South Carolina High Schools

Better than 81% of South Carolina high schools

Summary

Carolina Forest High in Myrtle Beach, SC, is a large comprehensive high school serving 3,176 students in grades 9-12 within the Horry 01 district, and it has maintained a solid 4-star rating for the past decade.

This school stands out for its remarkable success with students who often face the biggest challenges. Carolina Forest ranks in the 89th percentile statewide for both low-income students and students with disabilities, meaning it does an exceptional job helping these groups achieve. The school also shows incredible literacy growth: while English 1 proficiency sits around 70%, English 2 proficiency jumps to over 90%—a 20-point gain that outpaces both the district and state. This suggests students make significant progress in reading and writing during their time here. Compared to nearby Conway High and Myrtle Beach High, Carolina Forest leads in overall state ranking (46th vs. 110th and 151st) and in English test scores, all while spending less per student ($12,194) than its peers. It also serves nearly double the enrollment of these schools, making its strong performance at scale particularly impressive.

However, there are areas that need attention. Chronic absenteeism runs at 23%, higher than the district average of 19.4%, and the dropout rate of 3.2% exceeds both district and state averages. Algebra 1 proficiency has also dipped below district levels in recent years, suggesting math support could be strengthened. On a positive note, the graduation rate has improved dramatically, rising from 78.1% to 87.3% in just two years. While the school has slipped slightly in overall state ranking over the past few years, it remains a solidly above-average choice—especially for families who value a school that successfully supports diverse learners and delivers strong literacy outcomes at a large scale.

3,176

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,194

Per pupil spending ?

44.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

700 Gardner Lacy Road
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

(843) 236-7997

District: Horry 01

Feeder schools for Carolina Forest High:

Elementary:	Carolina Forest Elementary
	Ocean Bay Elementary
	Palmetto Bays Elementary
	River Oaks Elementary
	More...
	Waccamaw Elementary
Middle:	Black Water Middle
	Ocean Bay Middle
	Ten Oaks Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.3%

Hispanic:

20.1%

African American:

13.8%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

Compare Carolina Forest High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 84th percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

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

✓Ranks in the top 19% of South Carolina high schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg77%

South Carolina avg69%

46^th of 248

South Carolina public high schools ?

Top 19%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 12High Schools in the Horry 01

9^th of 75Horry 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	78.2	46 of 248	81.5%	★★★★☆
2025	72.9	44 of 240	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	75.4	36 of 243	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	78.6	29 of 237	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.9	27 of 226	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	28 of 227	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.5	26 of 225	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.8	48 of 216	77.8%	★★★★☆
2017	64.5	36 of 223	83.9%	★★★★☆
2016	70.0	36 of 231	84.4%	★★★★☆
2015	70.9	34 of 232	85.3%	★★★★☆
2014	74.5	45 of 210	78.6%	★★★★☆
2013	65.9	69 of 203	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.2	68 of 202	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	75.9	42 of 199	78.9%	★★★★☆
2010	84.2	27 of 199	86.4%	★★★★☆
2009	79.3	26 of 188	86.2%	★★★★☆
2008	80.0	28 of 185	84.9%	★★★★☆
2007	71.1	29 of 191	84.8%	★★★★☆
2006	72.0	33 of 191	82.7%	★★★★☆
2005	72.0	38 of 187	79.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.7	26 of 200	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	73.0	36 of 196	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	33 of 197	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	64.7	47 of 199	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	74.8	29 of 190	84.7%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	14 of 178	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	65.0	39 of 184	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	55.6	63 of 183	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.1	15 of 136	89.0%	★★★★☆
2025	69.5	34 of 140	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	88.9	6 of 147	95.9%	★★★★★
2023	87.3	12 of 141	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	11 of 139	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	89.7	7 of 115	93.9%	★★★★★
2019	83.6	13 of 143	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	78.5	22 of 137	83.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.9	20 of 59	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.4	24 of 70	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.7	32 of 71	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.5	15 of 68	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	47.9	30 of 61	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	24 of 46	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	83.9	5 of 64	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	78.5	9 of 58	84.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	53 of 229	76.9%	★★★★☆
2025	75.0	38 of 229	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	74.0	38 of 231	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	22 of 223	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	74.4	37 of 220	83.2%	★★★★☆
2021	69.6	47 of 213	77.9%	★★★★☆
2019	69.2	33 of 213	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.2	50 of 210	76.2%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.4	29 of 155	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	69.6	31 of 154	79.9%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	47 of 158	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	68.7	41 of 156	73.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	34 of 124	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	65.3	37 of 122	69.7%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	37 of 122	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	14 of 119	88.2%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	26 of 108	75.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.9	22 of 93	76.3%	★★★★☆
2019	78.4	10 of 86	88.4%	★★★★☆
2018	74.0	16 of 80	80.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	26 of 241	89.2%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	23 of 230	90.0%	★★★★★
2024	84.2	17 of 235	92.8%	★★★★★
2023	86.6	15 of 226	93.4%	★★★★★
2022	82.8	17 of 220	92.3%	★★★★★
2021	87.1	8 of 213	96.2%	★★★★★
2019	75.3	17 of 217	92.2%	★★★★★
2018	67.8	30 of 214	86.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.1	39 of 233	83.3%	★★★★☆
2025	72.5	44 of 228	80.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.1	33 of 234	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.7	40 of 229	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.5	31 of 224	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.3	26 of 215	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	24 of 218	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	62.2	49 of 213	77.0%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	11 of 21	47.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.4	12 of 21	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	65.0	4 of 15	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.8	1 of 15	93.3%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	23 of 61	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.0	23 of 59	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	21 of 53	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.7	19 of 57	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.0	18 of 48	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.4	22 of 31	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.6	5 of 23	78.3%	★★★★☆
2018	55.1	11 of 22	50.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	70.0	62 of 203	69.5%	★★★★☆
2025	73.9	38 of 200	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	36 of 202	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	44 of 197	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	69.4	44 of 192	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	66.9	53 of 189	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	40 of 191	79.1%	★★★★☆
2018	51.6	69 of 185	62.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+8 vs school

Disabled (2026)89th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)87th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)81st percentile~ school

Female (2026)77th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)73rd percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)66th percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)62nd percentile-19 vs school

Military Connected (2026)48th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English 290%+7 vs state

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 281%+16 vs state

U.S. History and the Constitution73%+11 vs state

Biology 1/Applied Biology 270%+9 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Worst School Ive ever seen. They know there is a 40min traffic jam for the school yet they still are giving out detention to the kids for being late. This morning I had my disable wife with me and needed to park in a parking space to let my daughter out of the back seat and the creepy looking guy at the stop sign started yelling at me. I told him to kiss it cause I don't deal with creepy looking people. He then sends the principle after me and I told her I had to park cause my wife is disable so I could let my daughter out and she didnt care. Close Quote

Schools Near Carolina Forest 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)				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	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
Carolina Forest High	Public	9-12	700 Gardner Lacy Road	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 236-7997	3,176	165	19.3	44.7%	1,788 (56.3%)	437 (13.8%)	639 (20.1%)	72 (2.3%)	13 (0.4%)	3 (0.1%)	224 (7.1%)	78.2	46^th of 248 public high schools	81.5%		72.9	44^th of 240 public high schools	81.7%	2	80.9	70.3	73.4	90.4	$12,194	$659	$390	$1,049	$9,682	$1,464	$11,146
HCS Scholars Academy High	Public	9-12	642 Century Circle	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 349-4117	209	13	16.7	1.6%	158 (75.6%)	9 (4.3%)	8 (3.8%)	21 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.2%)	98.1	1^st of 248 public high schools	99.6%		97.7	1^st of 240 public high schools	99.6%			100.0	100.0	100.0	$14,110	$154	$122	$276	$12,432	$1,402	$13,834
HCS Early College High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2050 Highway 501 East HGTC	Conway	29528	Horry County	Horry 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 349-3131	360	23	15.6	57.6%	151 (41.9%)	101 (28.1%)	81 (22.5%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.8%)	96.8	5^th of 248 public high schools	98.0%		93.2	6^th of 240 public high schools	97.5%	1		96.1	90.7	100.0	$14,777	$1,137	$665	$1,802	$11,289	$1,686	$12,975
Palmetto Academy of Learning Motorsports (PALM)	Public, Charter	9-12	826 West Cox Ferry Road	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 903-6600	195	13	15.0	40.5%	167 (85.6%)	5 (2.6%)	14 (7.2%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.6%)	35.7	160^th of 248 public high schools	35.5%		62.2	72^nd of 240 public high schools	70.0%	88		44.2	56.4	80.0	$17,355	$1,001	$161	$1,162	$10,296	$5,897	$16,193
Academy For Arts/Science/Technology	Public, Magnet	9-12	895 International Drive	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 903-8460	0	43	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Socastee High	Public	9-12	4900 Socastee Boulevard	Myrtle Beach	29588	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 293-2513	1,720	95	18.1	45.3%	1,051 (61.1%)	135 (7.8%)	373 (21.7%)	34 (2.0%)	4 (0.2%)	7 (0.4%)	116 (6.7%)	73.6	56^th of 248 public high schools	77.4%		69	52^nd of 240 public high schools	78.3%	4	55.2	72.0	75.5	86.8	$14,081	$686	$426	$1,111	$11,278	$1,691	$12,969
Atlantic Collegiate Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	5086 Bear Bluff Road	Conway	29526	Horry County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 286-5990	502	16	31.3	7.5%	370 (73.7%)	42 (8.4%)	49 (9.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (7.2%)	83.4	36^th of 248 public high schools	85.5%		83.2	21^st of 240 public high schools	91.3%	15		74.6	69.7	98.7	$9,591	$204	$559	$763	$3,695	$5,133	$8,828
Coastal High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2100 River Oaks Drive	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(843) 788-9898	198	21	9.6	52.1%	139 (70.2%)	24 (12.1%)	19 (9.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.6%)	64.5	83^rd of 248 public high schools	66.5%		53.4	98^th of 240 public high schools	59.2%	15		63.9	61.4	88.2	$14,745	$831	$69	$899	$7,316	$6,530	$13,846
Myrtle Beach High	Public	9-12	3302 Robert Grissom Parkway	Myrtle Beach	29577	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 839-7148	1,510	84	18.0	58.6%	539 (35.7%)	331 (21.9%)	481 (31.9%)	32 (2.1%)	4 (0.3%)	5 (0.3%)	118 (7.8%)	41.7	152^nd of 248 public high schools	38.7%		40.9	139^th of 240 public high schools	42.1%	13		59.2	60.5	73.5	$13,613	$778	$398	$1,176	$10,701	$1,736	$12,437
Conway High	Public	9-12	2301 Church Street	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 488-0662	1,724	97	17.7	65.1%	847 (49.1%)	489 (28.4%)	270 (15.7%)	8 (0.5%)	4 (0.2%)	4 (0.2%)	102 (5.9%)	56.4	111^th of 248 public high schools	55.2%		58.4	83^rd of 240 public high schools	65.4%	28		56.9	68.5	83.4	$13,969	$746	$440	$1,185	$10,926	$1,857	$12,784

Frequently Asked Questions about Carolina Forest High

What is the racial makeup of Carolina Forest High?

Students at Carolina Forest High are 56% White, 20% Hispanic, 14% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Carolina Forest High?

Carolina Forest High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carolina Forest Elementary
Elementary : Ocean Bay Elementary
Elementary : Palmetto Bays Elementary
Elementary : River Oaks Elementary
Elementary : Waccamaw Elementary
Middle : Black Water Middle
Middle : Ocean Bay Middle
Middle : Ten Oaks Middle

What district is Carolina Forest High in?

Horry 01

How many students attend Carolina Forest High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 3,176 students attended Carolina Forest High.

Is Carolina Forest High a good school?

Carolina Forest High ranks 46^th of 248 South Carolina high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Carolina Forest 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.