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Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus

Q: Is Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus a good school?

Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus ranks 178 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

178^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is a public school in Blythewood, SC, serving 523 students in grades 3 through 5 as part of the Richland 02 school district.

This school is a strong academic performer, consistently earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past five years and ranking in the 73rd to 80th percentile statewide. What truly sets it apart is its remarkable success with all student groups. The school ranks in the 94th and 95th percentile statewide for African American students and the 99th percentile for Hispanic students, making it exceptionally effective at serving these populations compared to schools across South Carolina. Test scores consistently outpace both the district and state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, 5th-grade math proficiency hit 71.3% in 2024-2025, a full 23 points higher than the district average. The school also boasts an impressively low chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.9%, far below the district's 18.3% and the state's 22.3%, indicating a highly engaged student body and strong school culture.

Compared to nearby schools, Lake Carolina Upper Campus is a clear leader in its area. It ranks second only to Round Top Elementary in overall state ranking, but its chronic absenteeism rate is even lower than Round Top's 8.4%. The school also achieves these results efficiently, spending $14,706 per student—less than nearby Bookman Road Elementary ($19,019) and North Springs Elementary ($16,072), both of which have lower performance. One area to watch is a slight decline in state ranking over the past decade, from the 91st-95th percentile (5 stars) in 2016-2019 to the current 73rd-77th percentile (4 stars). Additionally, while the school excels with minority students, its performance with White students dipped to the 66th percentile in 2025-2026, suggesting an opportunity to ensure high achievement across all demographics. Overall, this is a cost-effective, high-performing school with a particularly strong track record in math and an exceptional ability to support diverse learners.

523

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,706

Per pupil spending ?

32.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1261 Kelly Mill Road
Blythewood, SC 29016

(803) 691-3360

District: Richland 02

Students who attend Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus usually attend:

High:

Blythewood High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.6%

White:

26.6%

Hispanic:

10.5%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2017 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (65% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Richland 02

✓Above the South Carolina median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2017

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg58%

178^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 22 pts since 2017

From top 5% (2017) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 22Elementary Schools in the Richland 02

36^th of 75Richland 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	71.6	178 of 649	72.6%	★★★★☆
2025	76.1	151 of 640	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	165 of 638	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.0	145 of 644	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	123 of 625	80.3%	★★★★☆
2021	81.6	103 of 622	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	87.8	61 of 643	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	90.7	45 of 624	92.8%	★★★★★
2017	92.5	33 of 639	94.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.7	21 of 379	94.5%	★★★★★
2025	87.1	20 of 381	94.8%	★★★★★
2024	87.4	20 of 369	94.6%	★★★★★
2023	87.0	31 of 394	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	95.0	12 of 393	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	93.2	12 of 350	96.6%	★★★★★
2019	97.3	5 of 421	98.8%	★★★★★
2018	98.2	3 of 412	99.3%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	57 of 154	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.3	43 of 147	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	66.0	39 of 143	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	51.4	69 of 174	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	61 of 151	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.0	42 of 189	77.8%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	11 of 161	93.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.1	163 of 589	72.3%	★★★★☆
2025	76.9	118 of 581	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	161 of 565	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	77.8	116 of 580	80.0%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	111 of 573	80.6%	★★★★☆
2021	77.2	114 of 554	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	89.6	39 of 588	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	91.6	36 of 570	93.7%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	70.8	18 of 82	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	38 of 105	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.7	58 of 109	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.8	87 of 147	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	96.3	1 of 156	99.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.6	3 of 115	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	85.5	13 of 115	88.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	67.0	183 of 624	70.7%	★★★★☆
2025	66.4	177 of 613	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	206 of 599	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	220 of 608	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.1	197 of 600	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.0	214 of 580	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.6	198 of 600	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.9	69 of 588	88.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	175 of 583	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	71.5	166 of 586	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	71.6	152 of 568	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.9	172 of 582	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	138 of 579	76.2%	★★★★☆
2021	80.6	92 of 561	83.6%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	86 of 590	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	86.1	69 of 571	87.9%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	58.8	2 of 7	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	63.3	1 of 4	75.0%	★★★★★
2023	63.5	3 of 9	66.7%	★★★★☆
2022	62.2	5 of 7	28.6%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	94.5	1 of 7	85.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	68.6	154 of 454	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	83.0	53 of 460	88.5%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	104 of 441	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	86.3	43 of 463	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	81.6	67 of 455	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	83.9	57 of 439	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	88.4	40 of 472	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	88.2	38 of 457	91.7%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2025)99th percentile+23 vs school

African American (2026)94th percentile+22 vs school

Multi-racial (2022)86th percentile+5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2024)78th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)72nd percentile~ school

Military Connected (2025)71st percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile~ school

Male (2026)70th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)66th percentile-6 vs school

Disabled (2026)63rd percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts72%+7 vs state

Science64%+13 vs state

Mathematics59%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus

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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)		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 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	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
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus	Public	3-5	1261 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-3360	523	37	14.2	32.9%	139 (26.6%)	275 (52.6%)	55 (10.5%)	15 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (7.1%)	71.6	178^th of 649 public elementary schools	72.6%		76.1	151^st of 640 public elementary schools	76.4%	27	69.4	72.8	72.5				63.4	57.0	58.2				64.1		$14,706	$1,380	$693	$2,072	$10,684	$1,950	$12,634
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus	Public	PK, KG-2	1151 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 714-1300	531	39	13.5	41.9%	145 (27.3%)	248 (46.7%)	68 (12.8%)	12 (2.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.5%)								(n/a)															$17,870	$1,999	$958	$2,957	$12,263	$2,650	$14,913
Round Top Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	449 Rimer Pond Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-8676	581	46	12.5	35.7%	188 (32.4%)	269 (46.3%)	58 (10.0%)	28 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.4%)	81.5	115^th of 649 public elementary schools	82.3%		85.8	80^th of 640 public elementary schools	87.5%	35	83.1	73.0	79.1				74.2	58.0	64.3				68.0		$14,463	$1,514	$547	$2,062	$10,165	$2,237	$12,402
Rice Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4751 Hard Scrabble Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2900	718	55	13.1	60.9%	38 (5.3%)	538 (74.9%)	57 (7.9%)	18 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.1%)	38.9	400^th of 649 public elementary schools	38.4%		49.2	312^th of 640 public elementary schools	51.3%	88	56.5	59.3	61.4				46.3	47.8	33.6				46.9		$13,843	$1,518	$632	$2,150	$9,812	$1,881	$11,693
Bridge Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	121 Bombing Range Road	Elgin	29045	Kershaw County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 462-3900	564	47	12.1	60.1%	63 (11.2%)	374 (66.3%)	77 (13.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.4%)	42	379^th of 649 public elementary schools	41.6%		43.6	352^nd of 640 public elementary schools	45.0%	27	50.0	68.4	58.7				53.4	48.7	44.4				39.5		$15,344	$1,391	$802	$2,192	$11,303	$1,848	$13,151
Sandlapper Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Longtown Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4045	671	51	13.2	63.4%	45 (6.7%)	517 (77.0%)	52 (7.7%)	21 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (5.2%)	35.7	420^th of 649 public elementary schools	35.3%		44.7	343^rd of 640 public elementary schools	46.4%	77	53.9	53.5	57.5				47.3	46.6	39.7				44.5		$15,405	$1,485	$1,222	$2,707	$10,657	$2,041	$12,698
Langford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Langford Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4091	631	42	15.1	49.8%	138 (21.9%)	371 (58.8%)	69 (10.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (6.7%)	56	267^th of 649 public elementary schools	58.9%		51.3	302^nd of 640 public elementary schools	52.8%	35	71.6	63.5	72.5				56.8	50.4	44.0				47.8		$13,786	$1,598	$1,005	$2,603	$9,419	$1,764	$11,183
Summit Parkway Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	200 Summit Parkway	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-3580	1,229	84	14.5	52.0%	193 (15.7%)	731 (59.5%)	163 (13.3%)	40 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (7.8%)	49.3	317^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.2%		31.9	436^th of 640 public elementary schools	31.9%	119	69.8	90.0	86.5	50.4	51.3	47.0	58.1	72.5	81.1	35.8	21.8	32.7	62.5	40.4	$12,925	$888	$320	$1,208	$9,472	$2,245	$11,717
North Springs Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-3183	659	53	12.4	62.9%	52 (7.9%)	486 (73.7%)	64 (9.7%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	40.7	391^st of 649 public elementary schools	39.8%		37.3	396^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.1%	5	59.6	63.4	59.1				55.3	39.8	35.4				45.1		$16,072	$1,643	$1,136	$2,780	$11,109	$2,183	$13,292
Bookman Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 Bookman Road	Elgin	29045	Kershaw County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-1724	535	43	12.3	51.2%	101 (18.9%)	314 (58.7%)	72 (13.5%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.9%)	57.8	258^th of 649 public elementary schools	60.2%		59.2	261^st of 640 public elementary schools	59.2%	3	74.6	71.9	55.1				69.8	48.8	35.0				60.9		$19,019	$1,905	$765	$2,670	$13,672	$2,677	$16,349

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus

How many students attend Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 523 students attended Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus.

Is Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus a good school?

Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus ranks 178^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?

Students at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus are 53% African American, 27% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus attend?

Students who attend Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus usually go on to attend:

High : Blythewood High

What district is Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus in?

Richland 02

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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.