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'll find info on public schools, private schools, and colleges and universities in the tri-county area. Two other good resources are the South Carolina Department of Education and GreatSchools.org (we've included the Great Schools ratings along with the best schools in Charleston below). Although it's helpful to compare these schools with the ones stated in MLS reports, it's still important to verify zoning before you purchase if schools are a factor in your home buying decision!

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. Altogether, the district serves over 51,000 students in 88 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The schools in Mt. Pleasant and James Island are generally rated best in the county.

Mt. Pleasant Public Schools

Mount Pleasant has some of the best public schools in Charleston, SC. As one of the fastest growing cities 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: 8/10
Enrollment: 664
Grades: PK-5
Website

Charles Pinckney
3300 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 635
Grades: 3-5
Website

East Cooper Montessori Charter
1120 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 432
Grades: PK-8
Website

James B. Edwards (Partial Magnet)
855 Von Kolnitz Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 763
Grades: PK-5
Website

Jennie Moore
2725 Bulrush Basket Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 1,004
Grades: PK-5
Website

Laurel Hill Primary
3100 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: Unrated
Enrollment: 739
Grades: PK-2
Website

Mamie P. Whitesides
1565 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 834
Grades: PK-5
Website

Mount Pleasant Academy
605 Center Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 658
Grades: PK-5
Website

Sullivan's Island (Partial Magnet)
2014 Mike Perkis Place, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 475
Grades: PK-5
Website

Middle Schools

Moultrie
645 Coleman Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 1,119
Grades: 6-8
Website

Thomas C. Cario
3500 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 1,125
Grades: 6-8
Website

Laing Middle School of Science and Technology (Partial Magnet)
2705 Bulrush Basket Lane, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 1,012
Grades: 6-8
Website

High Schools

Lucy Garrett Beckham
1560 Mathis Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 1,673
Grades: 9-12
Website

Wando
1000 Warrior Way, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 10/10
Enrollment: 2,596
Grades: 9-12
Website

 

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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: 8/10
Enrollment: 639
Grades: PK-5
Website

James Island
1872 Grimball Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 582
Grades: PK-5
Website

Murray-LaSaine (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program)
691 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 363
Grades: PK-8
Website

Stiles Point
883 Mikell Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 5/10
Enrollment: 817
Grades: PK-5
Website

Middle School

Camp Road
1825 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 864
Grades: 6-8
Website

High School

James Island Charter
1000 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 1,589
Grades: 9-12
Website

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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 Creative Arts | James Simons Montessori (Partial Magnet)

Middle Schools
Buist Academy (Magnet) | Charleston Charter School for Math and Science | Simmons-Pinckney

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

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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
A.C. Corcoran | Chicora | Hunley Park | Lambs | Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori (Partial Magnet) | Mary Ford | Matilda F. Dunston | Meeting Street - Brentwood | Meeting Street - Burns | Midland Park Primary | North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | North Charleston Elementary | Pepperhill | W.B. Goodwin

Middle Schools
Charleston County School of the Arts (Magnet) | Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | Meeting Street - Brentwood | Military Magnet Academy | Morningside

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

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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) | Carolina Voyager Charter | Drayton Hall | Montessori Community School | Oakland | Orange Grove Charter | St. Andrews School of Math and Science (Partial Magnet) | Springfield | Stono Park

Middle Schools
C. E. Williams - North Campus | C. E. Williams - South Campus | Carolina Voyager Charter | Montessori Community School | Orange Grove Charter

High Schools
West Ashley

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Johns Island Public Schools

Because Johns Island is mostly rural, it has a smaller selection of public schools. Its Johns Island Elementary was just opened August 2025. With 90,000 sq ft and a capacity for 700 students, this school has been designed for future growth and will be based on a STEAM model.

Elementary Schools
Angel Oak Primary | Johns Island

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
Alston-Bailey | Beech Hill | Dr. Eugene Sires | Eagle Nest | Flowertown | Fort Dorchester | Joseph R. Pye | Knightsville | Newington | Oakbrook | Spann | Summerville | William M. Reeves, Jr. | Windsor Hill Arts Infused

Middle Schools
Alston | DuBose | East Edisto | 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.

Elementary Schools
Berkeley Elementary | Boulder Bluff | Bowen’s Corner | Cainhoy | Cane Bay | College Park | Daniel Island | Devon Forest | Foxbank | Goose Creek | Hanahan | Howe Hall Arts Infused Magnet School | Marrington | Mount Holly | Nexton | Philip Simmons | Sangaree | Westview

Middle Schools
Berkeley | Cane Bay | College Park | Daniel Island | Hanahan | Marrington Middle School of the Arts | Philip Simmons | Sangaree | Westview

High Schools
Berkeley | Cane Bay | Goose Creek | Hanahan | Philip Simmons | Stratford

 

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 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

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

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

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

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

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