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R. C. Edwards Middle

Q: Is R. C. Edwards Middle a good school?

R. C. Edwards Middle ranks 42 nd of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend R. C. Edwards Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 835 students attended R. C. Edwards Middle.

Q: What is the racial makeup of R. C. Edwards Middle?

Students at R. C. Edwards Middle are 73% White, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

Q: What high school do graduates of R. C. Edwards Middle attend?

Students who attend R. C. Edwards Middle usually go on to attend D. W. Daniel High

Public Grades 6-8

42^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 88% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

R. C. Edwards Middle in Central, SC, serves 835 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Pickens 01 school district, which ranks 17th out of 75 districts in the state.

This school is a standout performer, currently ranked 40th out of 335 South Carolina middle schools (88th percentile) with a remarkable 10-year track record of never dropping below the 81st percentile. The math program is particularly impressive—proficiency rates run 17-20 percentage points above state averages across all grade levels, and the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam boasts a 94% proficiency rate compared to the state's 74%. ELA scores are equally strong, with 8th graders hitting 77.8% proficiency versus the state's 59%. What makes this even more notable is the school's efficiency: at $11,161 per student, it spends significantly less than nearby schools like Pickens Middle ($14,353) or Liberty Middle ($14,337), yet outperforms them by a wide margin. Even Riverside Middle, which ranks slightly higher at 37th, spends $16,037 per student—nearly 44% more—for comparable results.

The school shows a clear upward trajectory in test scores as students advance from 6th to 8th grade, indicating strong skill-building across the middle school years. It also earns high marks for specific student groups, ranking 29th statewide for male students and 5th for multi-racial students. English Language Learners are well-supported too, with a 4-star rating. The main areas for attention are chronic absenteeism (18.8%, though better than the district's 24.3%) and some subgroup disparities, particularly for African American and disabled students. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.2:1, class sizes are larger than some peers, but the school's consistent results suggest highly effective teaching. For families seeking a proven, cost-effective middle school with strong math and ELA outcomes, R. C. Edwards is an excellent choice.

835

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,161

Per pupil spending ?

46.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1157 Madden Bridge Road
Central, SC 29630

(864) 397-4200

District: Pickens 01

Students who attend R. C. Edwards Middle usually attend:

High:

D. W. Daniel High

Feeder schools for R. C. Edwards Middle:

Elementary:	Central Academy of the Arts
	Clemson Elementary
	Six Mile Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.4%

African American:

8.9%

Two or more races:

7.7%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare R. C. Edwards Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 86th percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (67% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of South Carolina middle schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Pickens 01

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg56%

South Carolina avg51%

42^nd of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Middle Schools in the Pickens 01

17^th of 75Pickens 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	86.0	42 of 341	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	84.7	43 of 321	86.6%	★★★★☆
2024	84.9	44 of 322	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	63 of 325	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.6	48 of 310	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	86.4	34 of 311	89.1%	★★★★☆
2019	85.5	40 of 315	87.3%	★★★★☆
2018	84.1	40 of 303	86.8%	★★★★☆
2017	82.0	48 of 317	84.9%	★★★★☆
2016	81.8	42 of 303	86.1%	★★★★☆
2015	83.0	37 of 301	87.7%	★★★★☆
2014	83.1	37 of 291	87.3%	★★★★☆
2013	78.9	43 of 276	84.4%	★★★★☆
2012	79.1	42 of 271	84.5%	★★★★☆
2011	79.2	46 of 269	82.9%	★★★★☆
2010	81.3	35 of 261	86.6%	★★★★☆
2009	87.5	14 of 249	94.4%	★★★★★
2008	81.4	30 of 244	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	82.3	25 of 236	89.4%	★★★★☆
2006	82.0	33 of 231	85.7%	★★★★☆
2005	85.6	23 of 230	90.0%	★★★★★
2004	84.9	22 of 230	90.4%	★★★★★
2003	87.3	16 of 225	92.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.8	101 of 258	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.9	68 of 251	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	55.6	89 of 246	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	115 of 253	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	131 of 249	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.8	53 of 235	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	44.5	127 of 252	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.1	60 of 237	74.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	60.2	59 of 192	69.3%	★★★★☆
2025	50.9	79 of 184	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	56 of 177	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	64 of 187	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.0	78 of 183	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.2	93 of 164	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.7	62 of 195	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.7	51 of 194	73.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	80.6	15 of 113	86.7%	★★★★☆
2025	72.5	20 of 110	81.8%	★★★★☆
2022	87.4	6 of 97	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	90.6	10 of 117	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	4 of 93	95.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	81.9	46 of 310	85.2%	★★★★☆
2025	83.6	40 of 295	86.4%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	36 of 293	87.7%	★★★★☆
2023	78.6	58 of 299	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	47 of 290	83.8%	★★★★☆
2021	82.8	40 of 279	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	82.7	46 of 296	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.4	51 of 281	81.9%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	64 of 197	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.9	63 of 173	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.8	24 of 184	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.6	40 of 185	78.4%	★★★★☆
2022	65.4	66 of 182	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.9	19 of 179	89.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	22 of 159	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	23 of 139	83.5%	★★★★☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	25.1	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.7	5 of 5	0.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	77.4	52 of 325	84.0%	★★★★☆
2025	70.3	64 of 308	79.2%	★★★★☆
2024	66.8	69 of 304	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	55.9	108 of 313	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.0	84 of 300	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	70.0	71 of 288	75.3%	★★★★☆
2019	70.7	63 of 289	78.2%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	68 of 280	75.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	87.7	31 of 310	90.0%	★★★★★
2025	84.9	37 of 298	87.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.0	49 of 292	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	78.1	58 of 303	80.9%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	53 of 292	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	88.7	27 of 279	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	87.9	31 of 296	89.5%	★★★★☆
2018	87.9	26 of 284	90.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	6 of 65	90.8%	★★★★★
2025	85.6	5 of 63	92.1%	★★★★★
2018	71.0	8 of 31	74.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	72 of 271	73.4%	★★★★☆
2025	66.0	79 of 259	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.5	70 of 256	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	59.4	97 of 260	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	79 of 249	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	75.9	52 of 244	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	73.6	64 of 258	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	64 of 250	74.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Multi-racial (2026)91st percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)90th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)87th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)85th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)84th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2026)69th percentile-18 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)68th percentile-20 vs school

African American (2026)61st percentile-27 vs school

Homeless (2023)<1st percentile-81 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts73%+15 vs state

Science69%+17 vs state

Mathematics60%+18 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Saturday, July 30, 2011

We have a supportive administration, teachers who care, and students who work hard to excel. R.C. Edwards is a place where great things happen "behind the scenes" every single day. Close Quote

Schools Near R. C. Edwards Middle

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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)	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	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
R. C. Edwards Middle	Public	6-8	1157 Madden Bridge Road	Central	29630	Pickens County	Pickens 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 397-4200	835	52	16.2	46.7%	613 (73.4%)	74 (8.9%)	57 (6.8%)	27 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (7.7%)	86	42^nd of 341 public middle schools	87.7%		84.7	43^rd of 321 public middle schools	86.6%	1	66.3	75.6	77.8	58.8	57.4	64.6	69.1		$11,161	$430	$496	$926	$9,055	$1,180	$10,235
Riverside Middle	Public	7-8	458 Riverside Street	Pendleton	29670	Anderson County	Anderson 04	No	No	No	No	(864) 403-2200	453	32	14.1	64.1%	331 (73.1%)	63 (13.9%)	33 (7.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	87.5	39^th of 341 public middle schools	88.6%		87.3	37^th of 321 public middle schools	88.5%	2		73.0	71.1		64.6	66.9			$16,037	$687	$886	$1,573	$12,392	$2,072	$14,463
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	125 Falcon Lane	Liberty	29657	Pickens County	Pickens 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 397-3400	458	35	13.2	78.9%	371 (81.0%)	15 (3.3%)	45 (9.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	56.6	133^rd of 341 public middle schools	61.0%		57	118^th of 321 public middle schools	63.2%	15	49.0	61.2	60.9	44.4	48.8	38.7	55.2		$14,337	$901	$763	$1,663	$11,100	$1,574	$12,673
Seneca Middle	Public	6-8	15440 Wells Hwy	Seneca	29678	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4455	829	56	14.8	67.9%	449 (54.2%)	208 (25.1%)	105 (12.7%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (7.2%)	48.1	165^th of 341 public middle schools	51.6%		46.9	153^rd of 321 public middle schools	52.3%	12	58.1	54.3	57.6	34.9	32.7	45.6	46.9		$13,149	$303	$264	$567	$10,471	$2,111	$12,582
Youth Leadership Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	698 Concord Church Road	Pickens	29671	Pickens County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(864) 898-4511	290	19	15.2	17.0%	278 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	85.4	43^rd of 341 public middle schools	87.4%		85.5	40^th of 321 public middle schools	87.5%	3	72.0	73.0	73.7	60.0	59.0	55.6	72.0		$12,389	$60	$97	$157	$198	$12,034	$12,232
Summit Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	698 Concord Church Road	Pickens	29671	Pickens County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(864) 898-4511	59	6	9.8		51 (86.4%)	1 (1.7%)	3 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (6.8%)	56.9	131^st of 341 public middle schools	61.6%					(n/a)	71.5	57.2	60.5	50.0	30.6	25.6	66.6
Pickens Middle	Public	6-8	140 Torch Lane	Pickens	29671	Pickens County	Pickens 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 397-4100	566	40	14.1	78.3%	454 (80.2%)	28 (4.9%)	55 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	57.1	130^th of 341 public middle schools	61.9%		44.6	166^th of 321 public middle schools	48.3%	36	60.3	55.4	56.7	47.5	37.1	46.6	55.4		$14,353	$971	$582	$1,553	$11,189	$1,611	$12,800
Richard H. Gettys Middle	Public	6-8	510 South Pendleton Street	Easley	29640	Pickens County	Pickens 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 397-3900	1,217	83	14.6	68.6%	723 (59.4%)	151 (12.4%)	225 (18.5%)	16 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	99 (8.1%)	63.6	105^th of 341 public middle schools	69.2%		52.1	134^th of 321 public middle schools	58.3%	29	63.8	62.6	64.4	41.9	42.0	40.0	65.7		$10,709	$682	$517	$1,199	$8,329	$1,181	$9,510
Walhalla Middle	Public	6-8	151 Razorback Lane	Walhalla	29691	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4485	857	60	14.3	60.6%	651 (76.0%)	15 (1.8%)	175 (20.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.5%)	56.7	132^nd of 341 public middle schools	61.3%		63.3	103^rd of 321 public middle schools	67.9%	29	61.5	51.7	60.9	43.9	40.2	44.1	56.0		$12,960	$217	$378	$595	$10,533	$1,832	$12,365
Wren Middle	Public	6-8	1010 Wren School Road	Piedmont	29673	Greenville County	Anderson 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 850-5930	910	58	15.7	46.4%	694 (76.3%)	77 (8.5%)	80 (8.8%)	8 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.5%)	84.3	44^th of 341 public middle schools	87.1%		88.5	34^th of 321 public middle schools	89.4%	10	71.1	68.4	74.1	55.0	58.1	69.6	66.4		$10,613	$694	$420	$1,114	$8,434	$1,065	$9,499

Frequently Asked Questions about R. C. Edwards Middle

What is the racial makeup of R. C. Edwards Middle?

Students at R. C. Edwards Middle are 73% White, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What district is R. C. Edwards Middle in?

Pickens 01

What high school do graduates of R. C. Edwards Middle attend?

Students who attend R. C. Edwards Middle usually go on to attend D. W. Daniel High

How many students attend R. C. Edwards Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 835 students attended R. C. Edwards Middle.

Is R. C. Edwards Middle a good school?

R. C. Edwards Middle ranks 42^nd of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate R. C. Edwards Middle!

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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.