Summary:
Zip code 29485 in Summerville, SC, is served by one large public high school, Ashley Ridge High, which enrolls 2,599 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Dorchester 02 school district.
Ashley Ridge High is a standout performer, ranked 39th out of 245 high schools in South Carolina (84th percentile) with a 4-star rating. The school has shown consistent improvement over three years, moving from 50th (2023-2024) to 34th (2024-2025) and settling at 39th (2025-2026). Academically, it exceeds state averages in every tested subject, with particularly impressive results in Algebra 1 (81.81% proficiency vs. 64.58% state) and English 2 (92.44% vs. 83.79% state). The school also outperforms its district by a wide margin in Algebra 1, a gap of 28.4 percentage points, suggesting a particularly effective math program. Its graduation rate of 91.1% and dropout rate of just 1.0% (less than half the state average of 2.1%) point to strong student outcomes.
While the school excels academically, there is one area of concern: chronic absenteeism. At 26.7%, it is notably higher than both the state average (22.3%) and the district average (24.0%). This suggests that while students who attend regularly succeed, a significant portion of the student body is missing school frequently. With a student-teacher ratio of 18.5:1 and per-student spending of $10,510, the school operates with typical resource levels for South Carolina, making its strong results even more notable. For parents, Ashley Ridge High offers a rigorous academic environment with top-tier test scores and a safe path to graduation, though attendance may be worth monitoring.
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