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, and colleges and universities in the Charleston 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). 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: 8/10
Enrollment: 752
Grades: PK-5
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Charles Pinckney
3300 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 767
Grades: 3-5
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East Cooper Montessori Charter
1120 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 377
Grades: 1-8
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James B. Edwards (Partial Magnet)
855 Von Kolnitz Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 6/10
Enrollment: 568
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: 8/10
Enrollment: 1,157
Grades: PK-5
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Laurel Hill Primary
3100 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: Unrated
Enrollment: 660
Grades: PK-2
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Mamie P. Whitesides
1565 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 729
Grades: PK-5
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Mount Pleasant Academy
605 Center Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 610
Grades: PK-5
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Sullivan's Island (Partial Magnet)
2014 Mike Perkis Place, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 486
Grades: PK-5
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Middle Schools

Moultrie
645 Coleman Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: 9/10
Enrollment: 800
Grades: 6-8
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Thomas C. Cario
3500 Thomas Cario Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 1,193
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: 7/10
Enrollment: 1,258
Grades: 6-8
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High Schools

lucy beckham new high school in mt pleasant

Lucy Beckham
1560 Mathis Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Great Schools Rating: too new to rate
Enrollment: 738
Grades: 9-12
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Wando
1000 Warrior Way, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Great Schools Rating: 7/10
Enrollment: 3,330
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: 7/10
Enrollment: 653
Grades: PK-5
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James Island
1872 Grimball Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 5/10
Enrollment: 564
Grades: PK-5
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Murray-LaSaine (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program)
691 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 5/10
Enrollment: 354
Grades: PK-5
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Stiles Point
883 Mikell Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 8/10
Enrollment: 709
Grades: PK-5
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Middle School

Camp Road
1825 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412
Great Schools Rating: 6/10
Enrollment: 793
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: 1,597
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 Creative Arts | James Simons (Partial Magnet with Montessori Program)

Middle Schools
Buist Academy (Magnet) | Charleston Charter School for Math and Science | Sanders Clyde Creative Arts

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

Need more information about Charleston Real Estate?

For the best assistance in buying or selling Charleston area homes, contact The Keadle Group online or call 800.804.2187.

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