2023 Best Schools in the Charleston Area

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  280 reviews

Senior: I am a senior at Academic Magnet High School and have attended all four years. This school is academically rigorous and pushes its students to succeed. The school's community is unified and safe in nature and the teachers and staff always have the student population's best interest in mind. Sports and activities are highly active between students, staff, and parents, and they foster a prosperous environment for the school. Students are considerate and kind to one another for the most part. One thing this school must work on is prioritizing racial, cultural, socioeconomic diversity. Academic Magnet is attended by predominantly white, wealthy students while being located in a poorer and historically black area. Seeing the lack of people of color in the student body is discouraging to the school district's educational system. Ultimately, the school is strong in its community and academic value and is well deserving of its #2 high school in the country title.... Read 280 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 698

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Charleston, SC•

• Private School•

• 1-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  61 reviews

Senior: A Porter-Gaud education has provided me with a glimpse of what to expect in college. The courses are interesting and they prepared me for the next step in my education journey. The teachers were both helpful and took great interest in my future and provided assistance when necessary. Further, the interaction among students and faculty was an educational experience in and of itself. Besides the learning, I have met with what I consider to be lifelong friends!... Read 61 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,059

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  264 reviews

Alum: I've just completed my senior year and been at other schools before this one; this one has to have the best learning and friendly environment out of all of them. Most teachers were passionate about what they taught and understood if I had asked them for some help out of class via email or in person. A big issue with this school is how they handle big events. It was always difficult for me to ever know any information before these events or for other students to be unless they were directly involved. And then it was a 50/50 chance if these events even went well through all the "trial and errors". Just a heads up before you spend 60-70 dollars at a dance won't even like!... Read 264 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,120

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Charleston, SC•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.52 out of 5  60 reviews

Middle School Student: I think that Ashley Hall is a wonderful school even though I am in seventh grade it has already given me amazing social skills and prepares you for the next big thing every year. The school has some amazing teachers who engage with their students and the school has some amazing girls in the school. I have been at this school since Second grade and I have definitely made some life long friends. there are some ups and downs with girls at the school but most of the girls are very respectful to their teachers and their peers. even though we all seem like snobs not all of us come from backgrounds were our parents have lots of money. we all work very hard to make sure that the other girls in our grade feel seen and heard. the school also offers some great art electives, the four art electives are Theater, Art, Orchestra, and choir. You have two modern languages to chose from and you have the choice to take latin. overall I love this school and your daughter might also love it aswell.... Read 60 reviews

• grade A

• Students 637

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  855 reviews

Senior: Wando has a lot of opportunities to get involved through their vast amount of clubs. There are also plenty of leadership and AP/dual enrollment opportunities as well as plenty of class options. Early outs and late in are available and are literally the best! I have loved all of my teachers except for two. Many of the teachers are extremely kind and truly care about their students. Additionally, the students as a whole are very nice and welcoming. For my fellow LGBTQ members, you'll be pleased to know that Wando is a safe place with its very own GSA club. One problem is the class scheduling which can be very confusing and frustrating. That said, I have had all of my classes work out just fine. There is also a lack of communication which can also make things very confusing. Another thing to take note of is that there are frequent fights and drug use, but generally you won't see those things. Overall, I have had a great experience at Wando!... Read 855 reviews

• grade A

• Students 3,330

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Dorchester School District No. 2, SC•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  4 reviews

Parent: Awesome school! My daughter goes here and has nothing but great things to say about this school. I have had great with communications with all of her teachers and they have been nothing but the best.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 877

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Dorchester School District No. 2, SC•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  20 reviews

Freshman: Great faculty and great overall atmosphere! Always had plenty to do extra curriculum wise and great academic opportunities. Made me feel ready for high school, already have 5 credits.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A

• Students 774

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Berkeley County School District, SC•

• 11-12

• •
  Rating 4.54 out of 5  74 reviews

Senior: Berkeley Middle College High School is an amazing school. There are so many great opportunities by attending this school. I am seventeen years old and have achieved fifty-one college credit hours while still being enrolled in high school. It is a small school, so the relationships with the staff are strong and you know they will help you every step of the way. This school is an amazing opportunity and I am so grateful to have taken it!... Read 74 reviews

• grade A

• Students 115

• Student-teacher ratio 29:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade A

• Students 575

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 1-8

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  21 reviews

Freshman: Nothing can compare to the strong and supportive relationships with teachers, specifically the middle school teachers from my limited recollections. Superb school, pure and innocent atmosphere compared to high school and other middle schools!... Read 21 reviews

• grade A

• Students 542

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 876

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Dorchester School District No. 2, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 890

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Johns Island, SC•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.43 out of 5  23 reviews

Parent: We absolutely love the education that both of my kids received at CCS. Both attended from middle school until graduation and they both received multiple top college acceptances along with scholarships. But it is more than college acceptances - they both developed a love of learning. They also learned to be advocates for themselves and others. I am grateful for their intern experience in high school because it helped them choose a career path instead of being undecided in college. I would work 2 jobs over and over again so that my kids could attend CCS!... Read 23 reviews

• grade A

• Students 320

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 1,051

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 550

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Charleston, SC•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.15 out of 5  55 reviews

Senior: I love Bishop England, I can't imagine going to high school anywhere else. BE is very good about pushing me and making me step out of my comfort zone. I definitely feel like I am getting a great education and the staff there is amazing. I know that I can go to any of my teachers with any issues I may have and they will help me because they want me to succeed! The atmosphere at BE is very welcoming and loving. I think just about anyone at BE can find a way to fit in with the variety of different clubs and organizations we have.... Read 55 reviews

• grade A

• Students 668

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: I wasn't really a smart man prior to being a MMS student, I was lucky enough to be gifted and have teachers that really engaged me in learning. Sadly, the student environment smells of foul lude and other adult topics amongst the students.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 982

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 619

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 951

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Summerville, SC•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.32 out of 5  63 reviews

Junior: I love Pinewood Preparatory School! I enrolled to Pinewood my sophomore year the students, staff ,and faculty has made me feel welcome since day one. My school has not only prepared me for college but it has also prepared me for my future after college. Pinewood’s academic program is amazing! This school challenges and pushes students to do their very best which I love. I can’t forget to mention the environment at Pinewood. This school makes you never want to leave. I have attended Pinewood for 2 years now making next year my last year , sadly and I would like to say that I enjoy every second, minute , and day on campus. The teachers loves to help, listen and engage with every student. Students are very welcoming, friendly and caring. Being at Pinewood it’s like having another family. This school is not a very big school, it’s a small campus which makes communication easy. Pinewood is the best decision I ever made.... Read 63 reviews

• grade A

• Students 650

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 3-5

• grade A

• Students 622

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: I’ve toured many schools in search of a school that offered diverse learning opportunities and a child-centered environment. We started this school in 2019-2020 and watching ECMCS transition seemingly without effort into virtual and back again has been nothing short of amazing. The leadership and teachers communicated with parents every step of the way.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 405

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: This is definitely a top school. The teachers go above and beyond to work with and challenge the kids. There is great communication: weekly newsletters, website, & social media pages kept up-to-date, and emails from teachers. Time is also spent on character development- LOTS of clubs and community projects to get involved. I feel like my kids are ready for high school and received a private school education in this sweet close-knit community!... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,141

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Dorchester School District No. 2, SC•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Works Here: My experience at James H. Spann Elementary was very nice. I started working there in 2016. The staff was very polite and helpful. They have a team system that everyone follows. The moment I walked in this school I felt like I was at home. The atmosphere was full of love and excitement. The way that the teachers show compassion to the children was outstanding. I worked with children in one of the special need classes and loved it. Children need to feel supported and safe and the school made them feel important. Everyone was a team player and that is why I loved this school so much.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 580

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Charleston County School District, SC•

• PK, K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 474

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1