Best Schools in Charleston, SC

Charleston is known for having some of the best public and private schools in South Carolina. On this page you will find information regarding public schools, private schools, colleges and universities, and technical colleges in the Charleston tri-county area. Another good resource to use is GreatSchools.com, and we've included the Great Schools ratings along with the best schools in the area. We've listed the schools below by area so that you can compare this list with the ones stated in MLS reports. However, it's important to still verify the school zoning before you purchase if the quality of public schools is important to you! Need more resources to help you decide on the perfect neighborhood? Check out our Charleston Real Estate Guide!

Charleston County Public Schools

The Charleston County School District serves most residents who live in Downtown Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, and North Charleston. The schools in Mt. Pleasant and James Island are generally rated best in the county. Altogether, the district serves more than 50,000 students in 84 schools that range from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools

Mount Pleasant has some of the best public schools in Charleston, SC. As the 9th fastest growing city in the country, Mt. Pleasant is known for having larger schools and newer facilities. View a map showing Mount Pleasant school zoning by district

Elementary Schools

Belle Hall
385 Egypt Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 704
Grades: PK-5
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Charles Pinckney
3300 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 1,067
Grades: 3-5
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East Cooper Montessori Charter
1120 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 352
Grades: 1-8
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James B. Edwards (Partial Magnet)
855 Von Kolnitz Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 676
Grades: PK-5
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Jennie Moore School for the Creative Arts (Partial Magnet)
2725 Bulrush Basket Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 1,128
Grades: PK-5
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Laurel Hill Primary
3100 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: Not Available
Enrollment: 1,019
Grades: PK-2
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Mamie P. Whitesides
1565 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 721
Grades: PK-5
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Mount Pleasant Academy
605 Center Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 576
Grades: PK-5
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Sullivan’s Island (Partial Magnet)
2014 Mike Perkis Place, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 500
Grades: PK-5
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Middle Schools

Moultrie
645 Coleman Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 835
Grades: 6-8
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Thomas Cario
3500 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 1,222
Grades: 6-8
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Laing Middle School of Science and Technology (Partial Magnet)
2705 Bulrush Basket Lane, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 1,199
Grades: 6-8
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High School

Wando
1000 Warrior Way, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 4,068
Grades: 9-12
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James Island Public Schools

James Island is one of the most sought after areas to live in Charleston because of its close proximity to Downtown Charleston and the beach and also its great public schools. All James Island residents are zoned for James Island Charter which is one of the best public high schools in tri-county Charleston. View map showing James Island school zoning

Elementary Schools

Harbor View
1576 Harbor View Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 646
Grades: PK-5
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James Island
1872 Grimball Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 6/10
Enrollment: 570
Grades: PK-5
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Murray LaSaine (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program)
691 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 4/10
Enrollment: 328
Grades: PK-5
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Stiles Point
883 Mikell Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 716
Grades: PK-5
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Middle Schools

Fort Johnson
1825 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 465
Grades: 6-8
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James Island
1484 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 332
Grades: 6-8
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High School

James Island Charter
1000 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 1,648
Grades: 9-12
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Downtown Charleston Public Schools

Residents from all over Charleston County apply for Buist Academy, which is one of the best schools in Charleston. As a magnet school, Buist (pictured) requires student applications and teaches kids aged kindergarten through eighth grade. Downtown Charleston is one of the most expensive real estate markets in South Carolina, so you’ll find that most residents send their children to private schools.

Elementary Schools
Buist Academy (Magnet) | Charleston Progressive Academy (Magnet) | Memminger School of Global Studies (Partial Magnet) | Julian Mitchell Math and Science (Partial Magnet) | Sanders-Clyde | James Simons (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program)

Middle Schools
Charleston Charter School for Math and Science | Sanders-Clyde

High Schools
Burke (Magnet) | Charleston Charter School for Math and Science

North Charleston Public Schools

Two of the best public schools in South Carolina, Academic Magnet (9 – 12th grade) and the School of the Arts (6 – 12th grade), are located in North Charleston. They share a 55-acre, state-of-the-art campus called The Center of Arts and Academics that cost approximately $90 million when it was built in 2010. The two schools share a cafeteria, administrative buildings, media center, and gym but otherwise function separately. As magnet schools, both of these require applications. These are highly competitive and rank nationally for their academics.

Elementary Schools
Edmund Burns | Chicora School of Communications | Matilda Dunston | Mary Ford | Goodwin | Hunley Park | Malcolm Hursey (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program) | Lambs | Midland Park Primary | North Charleston | Pepperhill

Middle Schools
Morningside (ARMS Academy for Boys and EXCEL Academy for Girls) | Military (Magnet) | Charleston County School of the Arts (Magnet)

High Schools
Academic Magnet | Charleston County School of the Arts (Magnet) | North Charleston | R. B. Stall

West Ashley Public Schools

Although West Ashley schools generally don’t rank as well as other areas of Charleston, many residents opt for magnet or charter schools which require student applications. Because of the application process, admission into these schools is not guaranteed.

Elementary Schools
Ashley River Creative Arts (Magnet) | Drayton Hall | Oakland | Orange Grove Charter | Springfield | St. Andrews School of Math and Science (Partial Magnet) | Stono Park

Middle Schools
C. E. Williams School for Creative and Scientific Arts (Partial Magnet) | West Ashley Advanced Studies (Partial Magnet)

High Schools
West Ashley

Johns Island Public Schools

Because Johns Island is largely rural, it has a smaller selection of public schools. Its Haut Gap Middle School incorporates iPads into its curriculum (pictured). This is a partial magnet, so it accepts Johns Island residents in addition to some applicants throughout Charleston County.

Elementary Schools
Angel Oak | Mt. Zion

Middle School
Haut Gap (Partial Magnet)

High School
St. John's

 

Dorchester County Public Schools

Dorchester County public schools serve most residents of Summerville and some residents of North Charleston. There are two Dorchester County school districts, Dorchester 2 and Dorchester 4. The Dorchester 2 School District is consistently ranked one of the best public school districts in the Charleston area. We've listed the Dorchester District 2 schools below:

Elementary Schools
Beech Hill | Eagle Nest | Flowertown | Fort Dorchester | Knightsville | Newington | Oakbrook | Spann | Summerville | William Reeves | Windsor Hill Arts Infused

Middle Schools
Alston | Dubose | Gregg | Oakbrook | River Oaks | Rollings Middle School of the Arts

High Schools
Ashley Ridge | Fort Dorchester | Summerville

 

Berkeley County Public Schools

Most residents living in Daniel Island, Goose Creek, Hanahan, and Moncks Corner are zoned for Berkeley County public schools. Daniel Island tends to have the best schools in the Berkeley County School District.

 

Charleston Public School Rankings / Reviews

The following website is helpful in ranking public schools in South Carolina by county and by level (elementary, middle, or high school): https://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_SC.html

South Carolina Department of Education (information for districts): https://ed.sc.gov/schools/

 

Best Private Schools in Charleston, SC

Below you will find a list of private schools and college preparatory schools in the Charleston area. You can also visit https://sciway.net/edu/k12/k12private.html to search for more private schools in South Carolina by city.

Addlestone Hebrew Academy
1675 Raoul Wallenberg Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29407
www.addlestone.org

Ashley Hall
172 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403
www.ashleyhall.org

Blessed Sacrament School
7 Saint Teresa Drive, Charleston, SC 29407
www.scbss.org

Bishop England High School
363 Seven Farms Drive, Charleston, SC 29492
www.behs.com

Charles Towne Montessori
56 Leinbach Drive, Charleston, SC 29407
www.charlestownemontessori.org

The Charleston Catholic School
888 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
www.charlestoncatholic.com

Charleston Collegiate School
2024 Academy Drive, Johns Island, SC 29455
www.charlestoncollegiate.org

Charleston Day School
15 Archdale Street, Charleston, SC 29401
www.charlestondayschool.org

First Baptist Church School of Charleston
48 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
www.fbschool.org

Mason Preparatory School
56 Halsey Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29401
www.masonprep.org

Pinewood Preparatory School
1114 Orangeburg Road, Summerville, SC 29483
www.pinewoodprep.com

Porter-Gaud School
300 Albemarle Road, Charleston, SC 29407
www.portergaud.edu

 

Colleges and Universities in Charleston, SC

Charleston School of Law
81 Mary Street, Charleston, SC 29402
www.charlestonlaw.edu

Charleston Southern University
9200 University Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29423-8087
www.charlestonsouthern.edu

The Citadel
171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409
www.citadel.edu

College of Charleston
66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424
www.cofc.edu

Medical University of South Carolina
171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425
www.musc.edu

If you are ready to start your Charleston Real Estate Search, find your perfect home on the Charleston MLS.