Best Schools for Low-income Students in South Carolina (2026)
These are the South Carolina public schools where low-income students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested low-income students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.
Other lists: Asian · Black · Hispanic · Multiracial · American Indian / Alaska Native · White
Elementary schools
| # | School | Reading | Math | Tested | Overall Repit grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg Spartanburg | 65% | 95% | 38 | A+ |
| 2 | Tigerville Elementary Taylors | 72% | 82% | 69 | A+ |
| 3 | Lake Murray Elementary Chapin | 72% | 72% | 66 | A+ |
| 4 | Wren Elementary Piedmont | 67% | 72% | 115 | A+ |
| 5 | Seaside Elementary Garden City | 62% | 77% | 130 | A+ |
| 6 | St. James Elementary Myrtle Beach | 67% | 72% | 158 | A+ |
| 7 | Carlisle-Foster's Grove Elementary Chesnee | 67% | 67% | 85 | C+ |
| 8 | Griggs Road Elementary Clover | 57% | 77% | 80 | A+ |
| 9 | Powdersville Elementary Greenville | 62% | 72% | 284 | A+ |
| 10 | Waccamaw Elementary Pawleys Island | 57% | 77% | 70 | A+ |
| 11 | Lake Murray Elementary Lexington | 62% | 72% | 98 | B+ |
| 12 | Charles Pinckney Elementary Mt. Pleasant | 62% | 67% | 98 | A+ |
| 13 | Howe Hall AIMS Elementary Goose Creek | 75% | 55% | 50 | A |
| 14 | Wright Elementary Belton | 55% | 75% | 52 | A+ |
| 15 | Skyland Elementary Greer | 57% | 67% | 190 | B+ |
| 16 | Mitchell Road Elementary Greenville | 57% | 67% | 163 | A+ |
| 17 | Beech Hill Elementary Summerville | 62% | 62% | 137 | A+ |
| 18 | Brushy Creek Elementary Taylors | 57% | 67% | 204 | A |
| 19 | Fort Dorchester Elementary Summerville | 57% | 67% | 177 | B+ |
| 20 | Ocean Bay Elementary Myrtle Beach | 57% | 67% | 189 | C+ |
| 21 | Ocean Drive Elementary North Myrtle Beach | 57% | 67% | 261 | C+ |
| 22 | Concord Elementary Anderson | 62% | 62% | 146 | B+ |
| 23 | Tega Cay Elementary Tega Cay | 57% | 67% | 62 | A |
| 24 | Cherry Park Elementary School of Language Immersion Rock Hill | 57% | 67% | 122 | B |
| 25 | New Providence Elementary Lexington | 62% | 62% | 72 | A |
Middle schools
| # | School | Reading | Math | Tested | Overall Repit grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Byrnes Freshman Academy Duncan | 77% | 87% | 224 | A+ |
| 2 | Langston Charter Middle Greenville | 75% | 75% | 37 | A+ |
| 3 | Rollings Middle School of the Arts Summerville | 77% | 72% | 176 | A |
| 4 | Montessori Community School Charleston | 75% | 75% | 34 | A+ |
| 5 | Buist Academy Charleston | 75% | 75% | 37 | A+ |
| 6 | East Cooper Montessori Charter Mt. Pleasant | 70% | 70% | 29 | A+ |
| 7 | Southwood Academy for the Arts Anderson | 62% | 67% | 192 | A+ |
| 8 | Townville Elementary Townville | 47% | 72% | 101 | A |
| 9 | La France Elementary Pendleton | 57% | 62% | 145 | A+ |
| 10 | Marrington Middle School of the Arts Goose Creek | 67% | 47% | 110 | A+ |
| 11 | Pleasant Knoll Middle Fort Mill | 57% | 57% | 114 | B+ |
| 12 | Ocean Bay Middle Myrtle Beach | 57% | 57% | 235 | A |
| 13 | Gold Hill Middle Tega Cay | 57% | 52% | 119 | A |
| 14 | Moultrie Middle Mount Pleasant | 57% | 52% | 215 | A+ |
| 15 | Orange Grove Charter School Charleston | 57% | 52% | 180 | A+ |
| 16 | Plainview Elementary Patrick | 55% | 55% | 53 | C+ |
| 17 | Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter Myrtle Beach | 62% | 47% | 78 | B+ |
| 18 | Socastee Middle Myrtle Beach | 52% | 57% | 263 | A |
| 19 | Holly Springs-Motlow Elementary Campobello | 52% | 57% | 167 | B+ |
| 20 | Mt. Lebanon Elementary Pendleton | 52% | 52% | 163 | A+ |
| 21 | Forestbrook Middle Myrtle Beach | 51% | 53% | 550 | C |
| 22 | Campobello-Gramling School Campobello | 47% | 57% | 241 | B |
| 23 | Springfield Middle Fort Mill | 47% | 57% | 192 | A+ |
| 24 | Ten Oaks Middle Myrtle Beach | 47% | 53% | 493 | B+ |
| 25 | Powdersville Middle Greenville | 49% | 50% | 323 | A |
High schools
| # | School | Reading | Math | Tested | Overall Repit grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HCS Early College High Conway | 98% | 85% | 75 | A+ |
| 2 | Greer Middle College Charter High Taylors | 90% | 90% | 22 | A+ |
| 3 | Greenville Technical Charter High School Greenville | 90% | — | 23 | A+ |
| 4 | Oceanside Collegiate Academy Mount Pleasant | 90% | — | 24 | A+ |
| 5 | Chapman High Inman | 82% | 82% | 124 | A+ |
| 6 | Fort Mill High Fort Mill | 82% | 82% | 88 | A+ |
| 7 | Bluffton High Bluffton | 82% | 82% | 165 | A+ |
| 8 | North Augusta High North Augusta | 77% | 82% | 134 | A+ |
| 9 | Wren High Piedmont | 82% | 77% | 66 | A+ |
| 10 | Whale Branch Early College High Seabrook | 77% | 82% | 73 | A+ |
| 11 | Johnsonville High Johnsonville | 75% | 85% | 60 | A |
| 12 | Nation Ford High Fort Mill | 77% | 82% | 120 | A+ |
| 13 | Hilton Head Island High Hilton Head Island | 77% | 82% | 146 | A+ |
| 14 | Carolina Forest High Myrtle Beach | 74% | 82% | 343 | B+ |
| 15 | Charleston School of the Arts North Charleston | 82% | 72% | 137 | A+ |
| 16 | Lewisville High Richburg | 85% | 70% | 58 | A+ |
| 17 | St. James High Murrells Inlet | 82% | 72% | 198 | A |
| 18 | Woodruff High Woodruff | 82% | 72% | 86 | A |
| 19 | Chapin High Chapin | 77% | 75% | 72 | A+ |
| 20 | Abbeville High Abbeville | 77% | 72% | 97 | A |
| 21 | James Island Charter High Charleston | 77% | 72% | 171 | A+ |
| 22 | Wade Hampton High Greenville | 77% | 72% | 200 | A+ |
| 23 | North Central High Kershaw | 77% | 72% | 71 | A |
| 24 | Laurens District 55 High Laurens | 72% | 77% | 220 | B+ |
| 25 | Lugoff-Elgin High Lugoff | 77% | 72% | 172 | A |
Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology